McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder has announced her candidacy for re-election as McLean County Coroner. She has served as Coroner since 2014.
Yoder was appointed McLean County Coroner in November, 2014 by unanimous vote of the McLean County Board and elected to a four year term in 2016 by McLean County Citizens.
“It has been a great honor to serve the citizens of McLean County for the past 5 years as Coroner” Yoder said. “I feel that I am the voice for those who no longer have a voice. I hope the people of McLean County have seen the passion I bring to this office and will allow me to continue to serve them as their Coroner.”
Coroner Kathy Yoder received her Bachelor of Nursing Degree from Mennonite College of Nursing in 1996 and her Master Degree in Nursing from Illinois State University in 2005. Coroner Yoder obtained her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University in 2013.
Yoder worked as a nurse practitioner in neurosurgery and then emergency medicine from 2005 to 2014. She taught nursing as adjunct faculty at both Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State University.
Coroner Yoder actively utilizes her knowledge of medicine when reviewing cases that come before her office. “I try to learn from the tragedy that my office sees on a daily basis and work to educate the public about life and death issues. I feel that we can save lives if we learn from what has happened in the past.”
Yoder has made numerous presentations throughout the local community and state of Illinois on topics including the opioid epidemic, risk of fall among the elderly, and suicide prevention. She has trained local law enforcement on the use of Narcan to reverse the effects of opioid overdose and has been an instructor for MTU 8 (Law enforcement Mobile Training Unit).
As Coroner, Yoder manages a yearly budget of $600,000. Yoder has secured additional grants and donations saving taxpayer dollars including, $10,000 for new autopsy beds, $800 Gift of Hope education donation, $1500 toxicology grant from the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System, and an X-ray machine donated by Advocate BroMenn.
Yoder has been active in the community serving on the Advocate BroMenn-Eureka Governing Council and the Mennonite College of Nursing Strategy and Planning Council. She is a participant in the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System. She is on the Recovery Starts Today board which supports the McLean County Drug Court, Chase for Champions honoring and supporting first responders and is a member of the Bloomington Normal Sunrise Rotary.
Coroner Kathy Yoder grew up in Danvers and is a lifelong resident of McLean County. She is married to Judge William Yoder.
