About Ike Ogbo
Ike Ogbo is a distinguished professional working for the Health and Human Services Department in Evanston, Illinois. With over 16 years of experience in the field, Ike has become an admired expert in the subject of public health and safety. He first began pursuing this career when he received his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois. He later went on to receive his Master of Public Health from the same school. Since 2008, Ike has now been actively serving the City of Evanston in a variety of roles, each of which has allowed him to combine his passion for science and health.
Starting out as a Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner, Ike Ogbo conducted regular compliance inspections for a number of establishments. His position also allowed him to review policies, plan city-wide events, review plans and blueprints, and much more. In 2015, Ike was promoted to Public Health Manager. This position added heavier responsibilities onto Ike’s plate, though he was more than ready for the challenge. With the City of Evanston’s best interest in mind, Ike transitioned to this role, ready to serve well. In this role, he focused heavily on creating policies and plans for numerous health programs, recruiting public health staff, addressing public health complaints, and more on top of many of the responsibilities he held in his previous role.
Ike Ogbo briefly served as the Interim Director of the Health and Human Services Department before taking on the full-time role as Director in October 2019. As he had previously proven himself as a dedicated member of the team, his colleagues were delighted to see him enter this role. Having brought over a decade of experience to this role, Ike was and still is well-positioned to guide the wellbeing of the local community.
Though his love of science and public health has been a lifelong passion, nothing could have prepared Ike for what he would experience shortly into this taking over this role. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit less than six months into his new position, Ike took it upon himself to listen to science. He and his team worked tirelessly to keep their community as safe as possible while this novel virus was rapidly spreading. Thanks to his commitment, he is now happy to see his community emerging from these uncertain times. He recently approved for vaccinated individuals to go without wearing masks, a sign that the world is slowly returning to normal.
Amidst this crisis, Ike Ogbo never lost sight of his goals. Wanting to serve the community, he proposed a new program meant to offer the Evanston youth structured alternatives to simply hanging out. This program will provide summer activities for youth suffering from emotional and psychological stress as a result of social isolation and other factors imposed by the pandemic.
Ike continues to be inspired by and study science, especially as it correlates to his career. He sees a direct correlation between science and its effects on public health. The youth program is just one of Ike’s latest initiatives to respond to these factors. As he looks forward to his future as the Director, Ike is eager to continue making a difference in others’ lives.
To stay updated with Ike, visit his blog page and existing social media accounts.