Employee Directory

Curt Jibben has two decades of work in rural health, housing and community development.  He has served as the Public Health Officer for Mason County since 2005 and the Executive Director of the Housing Authority as well as CEO of Prairieland Council since 2011.  Curt has served on various local, regional and state boards and committees during his tenure and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Rural Health Association.

With roots in youth services, Curt’s entire approach is centered on how rural can be done right to ensure our communities are healthy and vibrant for future generations.  Through promoting a philosophy of partnering with like missioned organizations within our county, while bucking the trend towards regionalization, he facilitated the first known management partnership in the country between a Public Health Department, Housing Authority and Community Development Corporation.   In addition, he worked with Rural Local Initiative Support Corporation to establish Mason County as LISC’s first rural partner in Illinois.  Most recently Curt facilitated county leaders in creating a revitalization collaborative for blighted areas via a private/public partnership for demolition and land banking in one of the most depressed areas of our county.   Finally, in an effort to stem the tide of out migration, Curt steered partners through the development of “The Lodge at Manito”, an Assisted Living and Memory Care Facility with an attached Rural Health Clinic.  This facility is the first of its kind owned by a Public Health Department in Illinois and is considered a model of how rural can get the job done through strong partnerships and shared resources.

Denise Smith B.S. Senior Care Director for Mason County Health Department employed since 2008. Graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with degree in Psychology with a human service emphasis. Experience includes working in Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing homes, and Client Homes as both caregiver and as case manager. Also spent several years employed as Elder Abuse Case manager, investigating allegations of abuse in the homes of seniors in a three county area. In 2008 began at Mason County Health Department as the Director of Senior Care promoting the Public’s Health by ensuring quality care is being provided to those individuals living in the community that need a little extra care and compassion to age gracefully in their own homes.

Christina Lasswell has been employed at Mason County Health Department since 2007. Prior experience includes over 11 years of experience working in homes as a homecare aide. Working in the field has given her the knowledge necessary for helping meet the needs of our participants in regards to the care they receive and helps with training of homecare aides that are providing the care. Christina enjoys supervising homecare aides, scheduling care and assisting with all office duties to help ensure quality care is being received by participants.

Camryn graduated from the University of Illinois at Springfield in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies. In 2014, she was hired at MCHD as the Vector Control Intern. Later that year, she started full time as an Environmental Health Inspector. Currently, she is the Director of Environmental Health and the Coordinator for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program at MCHD. Camryn’s goal is to be an approachable resource for the public. She believes education and awareness are key to helping keep the public safe from foodborne and waterborne illnesses.

Contact info

Camryn Gann, BS, LEHP
Phone: 309-210-0110 ext. 240
Email: cgann@masoncohealth.com

Abby graduated from Western Illinois University in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. She has been with the Mason County Health Department since her graduation. Abby is an Environmental Health Inspector and the Coordinator for the Tobacco Program at MCHD. Abby’s goal is to provide education on food safety, smoking risks, waterborne illnesses, water wells, and septic systems.

Jessica earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2003 from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria, IL. She was employed as a floor nurse at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield before starting at Mason County Health Department in 2004. In addition to her Director of Nursing and Assistant Administrator responsibilities, Jessica continues with patient care in her Maternal/Child Coordinator role.

Jessica is a 2007 graduate of Spoon River College in Practical Nursing. She has previous experience in long term care and reproductive health. Jessica started at MCHD in 2017 as a Certified Lactation Counselor and WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor. She is currently the Office Manager and enjoys the challenges and rewards that come with the daily operations of an office. She understands the importance of client confidentiality and the compliance of defining policies and procedures to ensure the best client practices while considering applicable laws and regulations.

Jessica Reith is a graduate of Graham Hospital School of Nursing and previously
worked as an acute care nurse at Graham Hospital. Jessica is the Immunization and Communicable Disease Coordinator. She enjoys working with the community to ensure all children and adults are adequately educated and vaccinated against preventable diseases. As the communicable disease nurse she provides education to patients to minimize disease transmission and will keep the community informed of any communicable disease concerns.

Christie Towery is a graduate from SRC with an Associates in Arts & Science and then received her nursing diploma from Graham Hospital School of Nursing. Christie previously worked for Mason District Hospital at Home Health Department and on the Med/Surg floor. She enjoys working with the community and caring for people of all age groups. Christie is the Blood Lead & Bureau of Maternal and Child Health Coordinator. She is also involved in other programs at MCHD including BBO, Immunizations, Venipuncture, Prenatal, Family Planning & WIC.

Arica is the Environmental Health Inspector at MCHD. She is a 2009 graduate of Havana High School. Arica brings with her 13 years of experience working in the food industry with the last 10 in a management position. Arica’s goal is to be a valuable resource for the public with education on food safety, smoking risks, water wells, and septic systems.