Griselle Torres, DrPH, MSW

Dr. Griselle Torres is Senior Director of Health Protection, where she manages a portfolio of units, programs, and initiatives in the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) Division of Protection Health. She is responsible for providing strategic direction, administrative oversight and fostering connections internally and externally to protect the health of suburban Cook County residents.

Dr. Torres brings over 20 years of experience driving transformation in public health systems at the city, state, and academic levels.

Most recently, as Deputy Director at the Illinois Department of Public Health, she modernized infrastructure through cloud-based and low-code platforms, strengthened emergency response protocols, and led statewide data modernization initiatives.

Previously, as Deputy Commissioner at the Milwaukee Health Department, she spearheaded the city’s first anti-racism action plan, built integrated analytics systems, and played a critical leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, she founded the Coordinating Center for Public Health Practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, creating Illinois’ first Academic Health Department and expanding opportunities for future public health leaders. She also dedicated 16 years to the Chicago Department of Public Health, where she managed a $56M portfolio and drove department-wide performance improvement as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Dr. Torres holds MSW, MPH, and DrPH degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a certificate in nonprofit management from Roosevelt University.

Born in Puerto Rico, she is bilingual, bicultural, and a proud first-generation college graduate. Outside of work, she embraces life’s adventures raising her energetic boys—her “personal wildlife reserve.”