Public Health Consultants

The consultants provide training to clinics, schools, social service agencies and participate in health care activities in their assigned area of Minnesota. Feel free to reach out to your consultant directly or contact the Executive Director at cris.gilb@susanm46.sg-host.com.

In addition to the Consultants, we have additional community representation on the Leadership Team.

Beth Anderson, RN, PHN

Consultant, Southeast Region

Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, Bethel University – St. Paul. She has over 25-years of experience serving persons in greater Minnesota as a public health nurse. During her time in public health she worked in maternal-child health, school health, disease prevention/control, health education/promotion, case management, resource development, and leadership. She currently enjoys working with undergraduate nursing students and preparing them for clinical practice. Beth is dedicated to coming alongside individuals, groups, communities, and populations to help them increase control over, and to improve, their health.

Christine Andres, DNP, RN, PHN, CLC

Consultant, North Central Region

Dr. Christine Andres is a nursing faculty member at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Cambridge, Minnesota. She has a passion for supporting the development of the rural nursing workforce. With leadership experience in public health and maternal-child health nursing, she serves on state and community boards as an advocate for the promotion of health and wellness for children and families. She has historically worked on increasing access of oral health services to rural children and is excited to be part of the mission of Crush Cavities, the public outreach campaign of the Minnesota Oral Health Project. Dr. Andres earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Minnesota-Twins Cities with a focus in Public Health
Nursing.

Alesha Angel

Consultant, Northwest and North Central

Alesha graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2019 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Public Health. She has a passion for health education and promotion, as she pursues to teach the community the importance of making health-conscious decisions. She strives to instruct other individuals on how to live a healthier lifestyle. She is planning to further her education and knowledge, as she will go back to school to earn her Masters in Public Health (MPH). Alesha is very excited to have this incredible opportunity with Crush Cavities!

Cris Gilb, RN, PHN, MHA

Consultant, Southwest Region and Executive Director

Her nearly 40 year healthcare career has included direct patient care and administrative positions in acute care and public health in Southwest Minnesota. More recently, she has devoted her time to oral health strategies for underserved children, working with the Minnesota Oral Health Project, Early Childhood Dental Network, and the Minnesota Oral Health Coalition.

Barbara Greene, MPH

Consultant, Northwest Region

Barbara Greene is a public health care consultant with expertise in public health project direction, evaluation, community engagement, inclusion and health equity. Barbara is trained as a cultural anthropologist (B.A.) and international public health educator (M.P.H.), bringing a rich background in population health, planning, facilitation, interdisciplinary team-building, and cross-cultural materials development.  She currently provides leadership and skills to the Giving Voice Initiative, a chorus composed of persons living with Alzheimer’s and their family members/volunteers; the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging’s Community Advisory Board; the University of Minnesota’s “Foundations of Interprofessional Communication & Collaboration Course”; and the U of MN’s School of Public Health Alumni Association and Mentoring Advisory Board.

Sally Koski, PhD, RN, PHN

Consultant, Northeast Region

Sally’s nursing practice has included being a Licensed School Nurse, public health nurse, and nursing faculty at the bachelor’s master’s and doctoral levels. Currently she is a member of the Ely Community Care Team (co-chair and community representative), a member of the Board of Directors of the Ely Area Food Shelf, and a volunteer with the Ely Community Health Center (free clinic). Her nursing interests are public health and rural health care. Sally has a BA and MA in Nursing and a certificate in Nursing Informatics from The College of St. Scholastica and a PhD in Nursing from Barry University (Miami Shores, FL).

Carlene Lange, RN, BSN, PHN

Consultant, Northwest Central Region

Her 35 plus years in nursing has included direct care and leadership positions in Northern Minnesota. Her work included working in acute care and mental health. She is soon too retired and excited to be working with the Crush Cavities team. She is passionate that young children and their parents receive education on oral health.

Anna Pence, PHN

Consultant, Southeast Region

Anna graduated from the College of St. Scholastica in 2016 with a Bachelors degree in Nursing and a license in Public Health Nursing. She started her first RN position at St. Mary’s hospital on the Orthopedic and Urology floor in Duluth. She is currently working at MedExpress, an urgent care clinic, in Cloquet. She is very passionate about public health.

Melissa Walden

Consultant, South Central

Melissa earned her BA from the University of Minnesota, Morris. She has a passion for supporting and developing youth and their families. She has extensive leadership experience and has been actively building and enriching meaningful programs and experiences for young families in her community for the past twelve years. Melissa’s excited to be an advocate for the underserved families in south-central Minnesota.