Jennica Allen
40 Under 40 Class of 2021
Boston, Massachusetts
Community Health Planning and Engagement Specialist
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
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I am ever aware of the shoulders on which I stand, and feel strongly called to leave this world a place my ancestors might not immediately recognize. To have an impact they can be proud of. To not just do well and be good, but to do good really well.
Three words to describe me:
passionate, reflective, justice-minded
The best part of my job:
I do a job I absolutely love, and prior to starting, had no idea existed!
Something that would surprise others about me:
I cannot for the life of me ride a bike.
Over the past 15 years, Jennica Allen has proudly worked in a variety of public health roles at all levels of government. In her current role, Jennica serves as a Community Health Planning and Engagement Specialist in the Bureau of Community Health and Prevention at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Â
Over her past eight years in the Massachusetts Department of Health, Jennica has seen firsthand the shift to ensuring that racial equity is a key component in public health practice. In 2017, she was part of an unfunded pilot project utilizing a National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) tool called Moving to Institutional Equity. Through Jennica’s tireless work on this pilot program, in 2020, NACDD awarded funding to the department so that they could institutionalize ongoing equity work. Â
Jennica received her MPH in social and behavioral sciences from Boston University School of Public Health.Â
