Since January 2022, Rob England has served as the Tribal Public Health Director at United Indian Health Services, bringing more than a decade of experience, compassion, and community-centered leadership to the role. In total, Rob ahas been with UIHS for more than 10 years, dedicating his career to improving the health and well-being of Native communities across Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.
A proud Yurok tribal member, Rob’s journey into public health was shaped by both personal loss and a deep commitment to service. After losing a close family member to suicide, he found purpose in helping others heal. Just two years later, he stepped into a leadership role focused on suicide prevention.
Prior to working at UIHS, Rob worked for his tribe for 14 years and leaving was not an easy decision. At the time, the opportunity at UIHS was grant funded, making it a significant risk. But Rob believed in the work and felt it was the right move. That leap of faith opened doors he never expected, including contributing to a men’s mental health book and earning national recognition for his work in suicide prevention and community health.
Rob began at UIHS as the Health Promotion and Education Supervisor for a suicide prevention grant, serving in that role for three years before becoming manager of the department for another three years. This eventually led him to his current position as Tribal Public Health Director.
Education has always been an important part of Rob’s story. He went directly to college after high school and earned degrees in Psychology and Native Studies, followed by a master’s degree in Psychology from CalPoly Humboldt.
Wrestling continues to be one of his greatest passions. He coached wrestling for 25 years before stepping away during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, Rob oversees one of the largest divisions at UIHS. United Indian Health Service’s second largest overall. His work involves navigating an increasingly difficult funding climate while ensuring clients continue to receive critical support and services. His division manages 25 unique funding sources outside of general funding, each with its own reporting requirements and data collection. Despite these challenges, Rob and his team have been highly successful in securing and maintaining funding that expands services beyond the walls of UIHS and directly into the community.
Transparency, passion, and community connection are values Rob brings in his leadership role every day. He takes pride in building a division with a high percentage of American Indian staff members who understand the communities they serve firsthand.
At the center of it all is service.
When asked how he maintains work-life balance while leading such a large division, his answer is simple:
“Enjoy what you do. Serving my family, my friends, my cousins, and my community is what drives me,” Rob says.
For Rob, Tribal Public Health is his passion, and he works continuously to ensure the community receives these services.
