SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Sangamon County Mental Health Board took a big step forward Wednesday, hiring its first executive director. Tatyana Gardner (pictured), a lifelong Springfield resident, has been director of health initiatives for the Springfield Urban League for five years.

“This community is my community,” Gardner told reporters after Wednesday’s meeting. “I have the lived experience. I see these people every day. I speak with these people every day. I think there’s no better experience, no better person to do this, because I’m in this community. The community that appointed this board, this community that voted for the (0.5 percent) sales tax increase. I’m from it.”

The creation of the mental health board, funded by that additional sales tax, is part of the aftermath of the 2024 police killing of Sonya Massey, a Springfield woman who had a history of mental health challenges.

“The underserved population needs these services, and they’re going to get them because we’re going to find the organizations, that have the commitment, that have the passion to serve them in the best ways possible. We are very interested in partnering with grass-roots organizations, the organizations that work with the people every day, and we’re not just pushing dollars in ways that aren’t going to be beneficial to the community,” said Gardner. “I’m a grass-roots girl, so that’s what you’ll see.”