Eldonna Chesnut has worked in a variety of settings before public health; these include hospitals, clinics, home health, long-term care, and proprietary schools. Except for the academic setting, her focus has always been children and/or the elderly. While working on her bachelor’s degree in nursing she was active in state and national student nurses' associations as well as Alpha Sigma Tau sorority. Upon graduation she started working as an obstetrical nurse. Showing an early interest in management and leadership, she returned to school to pursue a degree in health care administration. Once into the program, she shifted her focus from general health care administration to nursing administration. She graduated at the top of her class with a Masters in Nursing Administration.
Eldonna is employed by Johnson County Kansas, Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) as Division Director of Child Care Licensing. She is a member of JCDHE CHAP, PHAB Accreditation, Strategic planning, and workforce development committees. Additionally, she participates in Child Care Licensing Multi County Committee, NARA, and is a KPHLI fellow serving on this advisory committee.
Eldonna led the efforts to create a early childhood coalition for her county called Raising JoCO. The first meeting was June 2022 and the coalition continues to thrive and grow.
APHA nominated Eldonna to serve as a practice member on the Council on Education of Public Health. She joined this board in 2020 and has served on the executive board the past four year, including President Elect and President in 2025. Additionally, she serves on the Child Care Aware of KS board since 2023.
She is an APHA member and member of the Ethics, Public Health Nursing, and Health Administration sections. She is a past member of Maternal Child Health Section. She was an active participant in the APHA Joint membership project representing KPHA. She has attended the APHA annual conference every year since 2008. In addition to the annual meeting, she has attended Affiliate President-Elect meeting, Joint Chair elect and President elect meetings, ACBI training, 2 Mid-Year APHA meetings, and 2 CoA Mid Year meetings.
Eldonna served on the Council of Affiliates (CoA) as Regional Representative for MINK (2 terms), chair-elect, chair and past chair. Additionally, she actively participated in COA committees. She represented COA on the APHA Executive board in 2016 and was elected to the Executive Board in 2017.
She has been heavily engaged in her Kansas affiliate as section chair, Conference Committee chair (3), Orientation Manual Project committee member, past Membership Chair, Director at large, President Elect, and President. She served as ARGC from Kansas for 3 terms and continues as an active member of MINK (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas Public Health Associations) - Regional VII affiliates.