Rachel Benn, MPH, CHES, has been appointed as director of the Central Illinois AHEC, located at the Illinois State University in Bloomington/Normal.

Prior to this position, Rachel served as the Nutrition and Wellness Program Coordinator for the University of Illinois Extension in Bloomington. “I am excited for this opportunity to further my work in central Illinois and participate in recruiting and building a strong, local health workforce,” she said.

Rachel has extensive experience in health education and public health, including developing chronic disease prevention and management programs, increasing awareness of home-based environmental hazards, and implementing programs that address food insecurity.

After graduating from Illinois State in 2016, Rachel attended the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois Chicago, earning an MPH in 2020. “Studying public health taught me the importance of health equity and striving to create access to healthcare, health services, and healthy environments across all communities.

For students exploring health professions, community-based work provides first-hand experience learning about a community’s assets and needs, and the communities benefit from the student’s expertise,” she pointed out. “I am looking forward to building on the great work IL AHEC has done in the central Illinois region.”