Oak Park has named a new public health director, Greg Olsen, who has more than a decade of experience with Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department.
Olsen, who assumed his new job on Jan. 6, fills a vacancy that had existed since Theresa Chapple, the former public health director, stepped down in July 2024 after about three years in the position. During the interim, Deputy Village Manager Lisa Shelley oversaw the public health department, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024.
The Oak Park Department of Public Health helps protect the community from preventable death, disease, illness and injury, according to village officials. Services include health assessments, education, prevention care, case management and counseling.
In a village news release, Olsen said he is excited and honored to be chosen for the new position and is he’s looking forward to tackling today’s health challenges in Oak Park, which he called a “progressive, diverse, and engaged community.”
“The goal of public health is to provide a community and environment which allows each individual the opportunity to achieve their full potential,” Olsen said in the release. “Collaboration and partnerships throughout the community are an essential piece to improving community health and well-being.”
Olsen had worked in Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department since 2014. Since 2020, he was the public health manager in Evanston. According to the release, he oversaw environmental health programs, emergency response and community health programs. He organized the $1.6 million department budget and grants.
During that time, Olsen was tasked with COVID-19 response efforts and oversaw Evanston’s pandemic response including contact tracing, vaccines and local health metrics, according to the release.
“Oak Park will greatly benefit from Greg’s depth of experience in public health and his understanding of the complex balance between science, policy and the dynamic needs of our community,” Village Manager Kevin Jackson said in the news release. “Greg’s expertise will further strengthen our commitment to maintaining Oak Park as a healthy and thriving environment for all residents and visitors.”
Olsen also worked as a senior management analyst and senior environmental health practitioner in Evanston. He was part of the Evanston Health Advisory Committee and was secretary of the Illinois Environmental Health Association from 2015 to 2017.
He’s also worked at Lake County and Kane County Health Departments, according to the release, where he did food safety inspections, analyzed water samples and resolved complaints.
The new director earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from Northern Illinois University in 2008. In 2018, he got a master’s degree in public health from the University of Illinois – Springfield, where he also got a certificate in epidemiology. Olsen also graduated from the NEHA Environmental Health Leadership Academy in 2023.
Olsen is a member of the National Environmental Health Association and the Illinois Environmental Health Association.