Beth O'Connor, M. Ed.

Beth O’Connor has had the privilege of living and working in rural areas almost her entire life. Raised in Minnesota, she received her bachelor’s degree at a small liberal arts college. She went on to earn a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati – the only two years she has lived in a major city.
Since 2005 she has served as the Executive Director of the Virginia Rural Health Association. A dedicated advocate, she was the 2022 president of the National Rural Health Association.
Her published works include "We Were Already in Trouble before the Pandemic Started," in Masks, Misinformation, and Making Do, Ohio University Press, 2022 and “LGBTQIA+ Health in Rural America” policy position paper, National Rural Health Association, 2022