Tara Pendygraft is a passionate public health leader dedicated to expanding vaccine access, strengthening community trust and delivering practical, people-first solutions across Kentucky. She currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Immunization Branch at the Kentucky Department for Public Health, where she leads statewide immunization initiatives, develops educational resources and coordinates strategic outreach to improve vaccine access and uptake.
Tara is the co-founder of "Vaccinating the Future", a statewide initiative that integrates on-campus vaccine clinics into college health fairs to reach young adults in high-need communities. In its first year, the program partnered with local health departments and pharmacies to deliver over 500 vaccines across eight campuses with a model focused on sustainability, student engagement and health education.
She also serves as Chair of the Kentucky HPV Taskforce, guiding multi-stakeholder efforts to reduce HPV-related disease through provider engagement, targeted education and collaborative outreach. Additionally, she co-leads the Kentucky Cervical Cancer Elimination Workgroup, a cross-sector coalition working toward the statewide elimination of cervical cancer. Tara was recently invited to take part in the Kentucky Public Health Emerging Leadership Institute, where she’s building on her skills in systems leadership, strategic planning and managing change in public health settings.
