Jennifer Harris

Jennifer is a guest blogger with the Healthy St. Lucie Coalition. She is an experienced public health professional, with a career spanning over 21 years. In 1999 she began working in tobacco control, where she spent nearly 18 years implementing communication and community engagement activities at the county, regional, and statewide levels to shape social norms about tobacco and increase adoption of policies to reduce tobacco use. In 2017, Jennifer accepted a position as the Director of Health Promotion with the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County. In this role she oversaw the implementation of Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), including initiatives to improve breastfeeding rates, encourage healthy eating, increase physical activity, and reduce chronic disease. Jennifer administered a community-wide activity campaign, the Billion Steps Challenge, to encourage adults in St. Lucie County to be more physically active. In July 2021, Jennifer took on a new role as the Director of Communications and Public Relations for the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie. In this position, she will manage media relations, public relations, develop data-driven communication plans, and implement new marketing initiatives for health and wellness programs. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking local parks, taking art classes, and spending time with family and friends.