Meet Our Staff

Erika is a graduate of the University of Dayton and holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. She received her bachelor's of Science from the University of Dayton, in Dayton Ohio, in Nutrition/Pre- medicine, and completed a dietetic internship at the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland Ohio.

Erika joined the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation in 2013 as a Senior Research Analyst and Grants Manager. She supported the development and execution of the Foundation’s vision and mission of improving the health of South Carolinians, particularly for the economically disadvantaged, by developing partnerships and collaborations with local and state-wide health organizations, and managing and evaluating grant projects. She previously worked as a division director at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, providing strategic direction and leadership of a program to address nutrition and physical activity and related chronic health conditions in South Carolina. During this time, she built partnerships and collaborations to create spaces and places supporting healthy eating and active living.

She is a member of the 2018 class of Leadership South Carolina. Erika is involved with local, state and national efforts on health issues such as mental health, adolescent health, safety net provider networks and childhood obesity; and she contributes to advancing strategic grant-making and partnerships to improve health.

Lindsey Kilgo was born in Newton, North Carolina, and moved to Columbia, SC in 2004 when she began attending the University of South Carolina. Her academic work includes a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Social Work, from Western Carolina University. 

Lindsey now joins Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation to fill the role of Grants Analyst/Research position where she will combine her passion for access and education to create positive and lasting change for South Carolina by closing information gaps and improving health outcomes for all South Carolinians. 

Prior to Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Lindsey worked for the Community Medical Clinic of Kershaw County where she collaboratively worked to connect individuals with needed resources to enhance overall well-being and led a team to create a centralized resource for those individuals in Kershaw County to access healthcare; primarily for individuals that were uninsured and underserved. Lindsey also has experience in researching and submitting various types of grants from the federal, state, and local levels which created additional services and opportunities for those living in Kershaw County, SC. 

In a role at the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, Lindsey led several initiatives to support rural communities to advance health equity. An example of that work was being able to launch a pilot program to place social work students in rural libraries to connect residents to local resources. In other roles, Lindsey has led the Healthy Outcomes Program for Providence Hospitals as the Program Coordinator. In that role, she implemented a program that connected uninsured patients with primary care and addressed many other critical barriers to care. Her professional goal is to provide integrated services through the development of relationships with both, individuals and the community holistically.

Jenesha is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, obtaining her Master’s degree in Public Health in 2020. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the College of Charleston in 2018. 

Jenesha joins the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation as the Grants Administrator. Here, she leverages her comprehensive education and diverse skill set to advance initiatives aimed at enhancing health outcomes for the residents of South Carolina. 

Prior to joining the Foundation, Jenesha worked at University of South Carolina in the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation. In this capacity, she spearheaded a statewide strategy to address social determinants of health, bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors to align efforts toward improving the wellbeing of South Carolinians. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in the evaluation of the FIRST FIIRRE initiative, a federally funded project focused on the hiring, retention, and promotion of underrepresented minority faculty at USC. 

Throughout her career, Jenesha has contributed her research and evaluation expertise to organizations such as the Beckman Mental Health Center, USC’s Center for Child and Family Studies, and the College of Charleston’s Women’s Health Research Team. Committed to serving and improving her community, she continues to strive towards empowering all South Carolinians to achieve their highest health potential and quality of life.

Elizabeth Dudek is a Program Officer at the BlueCross BlueShield Foundation, where she applies her expertise in the nonprofit sector and passion for expanding healthcare access to support grantees in creating lasting, sustainable change for South Carolinians. Elizabeth is dedicated to fostering collaboration and building meaningful connections between partners to make a significant impact on the health landscape of the state. 

A native of South Carolina, Elizabeth holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Birmingham-Southern College. She has lived and worked in both rural and metropolitan areas across the state, giving her a unique perspective on the diverse needs of the communities she serves. 

Before joining the Foundation, Elizabeth gained extensive experience in nonprofit development. She served as Development Officer at South Carolina First Steps and Director of Development at Homeless No More, where she played a pivotal role in raising funds to improve the lives of economically disadvantaged individuals facing challenges. Elizabeth has a strong track record in grant writing and program development, helping organizations meet their missions and enhance their community impact. 

Committed to improving her community, Elizabeth is passionate about using her skills to serve others and create positive change in South Carolina.