Emily Henke, MPH, BA

Emily Henke, MPH is the Executive Director of the Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI), a critical nonprofit partner to communities, public agencies, private organizations, and other groups who make Oregon and the Pacific Northwest a healthy, thriving place for all.

In 2020, Henke solidified a strategic partnership between OPHI and the Public Health Institute that cemented OPHI as a key player in Oregon’s public health system. The partnership’s value was proven immediately: during the COVID-19 crisis, OPHI and PHI created the Tracing Health program, which supports life-saving contact tracing and vaccine rollout efforts in communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. This work has saved countless lives, created living wage jobs in communities experiencing economic crisis, and started a diverse workforce development pipeline of future public health professionals. It’s just one example of the systems thinking and implementation skill that define Henke’s approach to building health and equity.

Henke focuses on increasing investment in public health, forging cross-sector partnerships, and pushing for bold, upstream policy action that prioritizes equity. She holds a Master of Public Health from Portland State University and a B.A. from Lewis & Clark College.

In 2021, Henke was named to the de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health program, which recognizes leaders in public health who are strengthening communities with new ideas, creative problem-solving, and innovative solutions. She was also recognized by Portland Business Journal on their 40 Under 40 list.