Abigail Aiken, an assistant professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas, will join the Central Health board of managers after she was approved Thursday as a joint appointee by Austin City Council.

Abigail Aiken[/caption]

Aiken's appointment was approved Dec. 6 by Travis County Commissioners Court. The court also approved the re-appointment of current board manager Guadalupe Zamora, who served since 2013.

Central Health's nine-member board includes one position that is appointed jointly by the court and City Council. Appointments for the other eight positions are split between the two. The Central Health board is responsible for overseeing Travis County's public health district.

"Central Health's mission matches my personal beliefs and professional experience," Aiken said in a Central Health news release. "I am eager to apply my skills and insight from my experience in population research, as well as legislative barriers to health access. I believe this will help Central Health create a model healthy community."

Aiken teaches social policy at UT with her research focused on the areas of reproductive health and health policy. She was part of the Community Care Collaborative Women's Health Workgroup and also previously worked as a health policy analyst for state Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston.

She received a medical doctorate from the University of Cambridge, a master's in public health from Harvard University and a doctorate in public policy from UT.

The jointly appointed seat on Central Health’s board is currently held by Kirk Kuykendall, who serves as the board secretary. Kuykendall’s term expires at the end of 2016.

Central Health board members serve for four years and have no term limits.

The board's regular meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Central Health Administrative Offices, 1111 E. Cesar Chavez St., unless otherwise posted. The meetings are open to the public.