Allison Waugh, MHS- President

Allison is currently serving her second term as President of the South Dakota Public Health Association, where she works to advance public health through collaboration, partnership, and leadership. She holds a master's degree in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and has years of experience in vaccine research, evaluation, and development. A lifelong South Dakotan, Allison grew up in Rapid City, where she continues her work in public health.

Kate Vogel MPH, CHES - Treasurer

Professional Background Summary/Professional Bio: I am a South Dakota State graduate where I obtained her BS in community and public health and later my MPH. Now pursuing my medical degree, I am passionate about preserving health services in rural communities. My prior public health experience is in agriculture health, stigma and substance use disorder, and grant review for federal agencies. This is my second term serving on the SDPHA board and I value SDPHA's role in improving the health of all South Dakotans. 

Shelby Hintze Jepperson, MPH, CPH - APHA Affiliate Representative to the Governing Council (ARGC)

Shelby has been an South Dakota Public Health Association (SDPHA) member since 2013 in various roles (Member at Large, Secretary, Membership Committee Chair, Education Committee Co-Chair) and the Affiliate Representative to the Governing Council (ARGC) since 2023. An American Public Health Association (APHA) member since 2013; Shelby has been the Region IV (ND, SD, MT, WY, CO, UT) ARGC representative to the Council of Affiliates (CoA) since 2025. In her time with SDPHA, she has represented public health as a member of the SD Green Project (SoDak350) and Sioux Falls Sustainability Coalition, building SDPHA’s environmental health impact. Her other goals for SDPHA include growing SDPHA membership and involvement in APHA.

Her public health interests are primarily related to environmental health, maternal & child health (MCH), and rural health.

She is a doctoral candidate in health sciences with an anticipated program completion in 2026. She earned a Bachelor of Science in biology before completing a Master of Public Health (MPH) as well as a Graduate Certificate in Child and Adult Advocacy Studies (CAASt) and has held the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential since 2019. In her day job, Shelby is health science faculty and grant project director.

Tiffany Bender, MD, MPH - Member-at-Large

Dr. Bender is a plastic and reconstructive surgery resident at the University of Minnesota with interests spanning the breadth of general and reconstructive plastic surgery, as well as burn surgery and critical care. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, where she also earned a Master of Public Health. She is passionate about integrating her public health background into individual patient interactions, increasing equity and access to medical and surgical care, as well as improving patient education. She has embodied these principles through her previous work as the chair of a free clinic, the Coyote Clinic, and her work in epidemiology at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Her research interests, which have been presented at both national and international conferences, include clinical outcomes, surgical quality improvement, and strategies to improve patient experiences across diverse populations.

DenYelle Baete Kenyon, PhD - Legislative Committee Chair

SDPHA Legislative Chair, Associate Dean for Community Health & Engagement, Master of Public Health Program Director, and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota. She received her BS in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota and went on to receive a PhD in Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona. DenYelle was overjoyed to be able to move back home to Sioux Falls to raise her family. She worked at Sanford Research for 11 years as a public health researcher, focusing on teen pregnancy/STI prevention, undergraduate research training, and helping lead the Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health. At the University of South Dakota for the past 7 years, DenYelle leads community health and engagement efforts for the medical school and the master of public health program, where she is fortunate to work with teams on increasing underrepresented students in health care careers and training future medical and public health practitioners on achieving health equity.

Thomas “Tom” Stenvig, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN - Bylaws Committee Chair

Tom is a registered nurse having been active in public health and nursing association work throughout his career. He has held leadership positions in the South Dakota Nurses Association, the South Dakota Public Health Association, and the American Nurses Association, including a term as the second president of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. He recently completed a term as president of the Northeast South Dakota Health Education Center, and has served as president of the South Dakota Nurses Foundation since it incorporated in 1999. He is the recipient of numerous awards for professional and association work, including the Distinguished Member Award from the American Nurses Association, the South Dakota Public Health Association G. J. Van Heuvelen Award, the South Dakota Nurses Association Hall of Fame Award, and recognition as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Tom completed a career with the Indian Health Service of the United States Public Health Service and is Associate Professor Emeritus at South Dakota State University College of Nursing where he taught graduate and undergraduate nursing and public health courses. He directed the Wokunze Project funded by the Indian Health Service to support American Indians pursuing baccalaureate education in nursing. Dr. Stenvig graduated with honors from Wayne State University College of Nursing and received a master's in public health from the University of Hawaii. His doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on the behaviors of nurses who immunize children. He continues to advise doctoral student research using both quantitative and qualitative methods. He has expertise in public health practice and policy formation emphasizing vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases, culminating in appointment to the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) by the Assistant Secretary for Health.