Christine is a mother, public health researcher, and photographer and a passionate advocate for trees and prevention. Christine is currently Chief Operations Officer of Nordson Green Earth Foundation (NGEF), the non-profit, all-volunteer organization working to increase tree and green space equity in Chicago and is a Senior Research Specialist at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford where she evaluates programs to reduce disparities in chronic disease and conducts community needs assessments. Christine is currently a Climate Health Ambassador with EcoAmerica, a member of the Tree Team of the Chicago Chapter of Climate Reality, and a Forest Maker with The SUGi Project. She was part of the inaugural cohort of the Climate Health Organizing Fellows through the Cambridge Health Alliance, Center for Health Equity Education and Advocacy and Harvard Medical School.
Christine began her work in public health nearly three decades ago working in areas including gun violence prevention and prevention research. She was privileged to take time off to raise her family while bringing her professional experience to numerous committees and programs as a volunteer. During the pandemic, Christine began volunteering with the Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team (IMPACT) to combat mis- and disinformation around the pandemic. This led to a return to the workforce where Christine combines her knowledge of the need for creating vibrant, healthy and equitable communities to the both pressing issues in public health and climate spaces.
Christine received her MPH in Health Policy Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1997 and her BA in psychology from the University of Chicago in 1991. Christine lives in Chicago’s western suburbs with her husband and the youngest of two of their six children in Chicago’s western suburbs. When not sailing on Lake Michigan with her family, Christine can be found walking their Golden Retriever and Saint Bernard around town or returning home to her native Door County, Wisconsin to refuel her soul.