Dear Members of the Illinois Public Health Institute Community,
On behalf of the Illinois Public Health Institute’s Search Committee and the Board of Directors, we are delighted to announce the selection of health equity leader Crystal Pirtle Tyler PhD, MPH, as IPHI’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective April 22, 2024. Crystal is a visionary leader who is deeply passionate about our mission and advancing health equity and improved health outcomes in Illinois as well as across the country.
Crystal was selected through a national search, following the announcement of our CEO Elissa Bassler’s upcoming retirement. Elissa is and continues to be an extraordinary leader, and we will be forever grateful to her for her vision, passion, drive, and determination that have brought IPHI to this stage in its history.
We are confident that Crystal will inspire our dedicated staff, Board, and partners to continue to improve health policy and public health systems with a focus on health equity for underserved communities and communities of color.
Crystal is recognized as a national thought leader in advancing reproductive and maternal health equity and has published and presented broadly on these topics. During her 20-year career, Crystal’s interactions with team members, partner organizations, and community members have embodied the principles of servant leadership, as she supported organizations with growing and scaling in a way that centers equity.
As the Chief Health Officer at Rhia Ventures, she leads organizational strategy and programming that centers on the reproductive health needs of those most affected by systemic inequity. Previously, as Executive Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health at the University of Chicago, her leadership was focused on research and programs that advance the health and well-being of BIPOC adolescents and other underserved communities in Chicago and beyond. She has also served as Director of the Michigan Public Health Institute Center for Child and Family Health and as an Epidemiologist in the Division of Reproductive Health at the CDC.
Crystal serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Family Planning, Orchid Capital Collective, and the Black Women’s Health Imperative. She completed her Ph.D. in Epidemiology at Michigan State University and holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies from Spelman College.
Throughout her career, Crystal’s work has been rooted in advancing health equity for underserved communities and communities of color. Her new role as our Chief Executive Officer is the culmination of her personal and professional path.
I along with the IPHI Board of Directors, look forward to partnering with Crystal and with all of you as we continue to build equitable systems and community partnerships. Please join me in congratulating Crystal and welcoming her as she moves into her new position in April.
Warm and grateful regards,
Leticia Reyes-Nash
Chair of the IPHI Search Committee &
Chair, IPHI Board of Directors
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