Henry finds new purpose through Leadership Coshocton County

Emily Henry was born in Zanesville and raised in Coshocton. A 2012 graduate of Coshocton High School, she ran track and was a three-time state qualifier in the sport. She also was part of the 4x100 relay team that broke a school record that had been held since the 1980s.

While in high school, Henry knew she wanted a career that would allow her to help people. Following graduation, she moved to Newark with her future husband Joby, where she enrolled in Central Ohio Technical College in the radiologic technology program. After graduating with her associate degree, she began her career in health care and spent much of her early adulthood in this field.

Following the birth of their first son in 2017, Henry and her husband made the move back home to their roots in Coshocton. After several years in health care, Henry began to have a change of heart for how she wanted to spend her career. In 2021 she enrolled through Western Governor’s University for business administration and management and would later earn her bachelor’s degree in December 2024.

She continued to work in the radiology field while working toward her degree but said she ultimately felt like she wasn’t fulfilled by her work and was drawn to leave the career she’d known. In early 2024 she decided to apply for a position with the Coshocton County Department of Job & Family Services as an eligibility referral specialist.

She was surprised to get an interview. “DJFS went out on a limb to hire me with only medical experience,” she said.

In the 20 months since Henry has been with CCDJFS, she has excelled at casework and demonstrated her leadership skills. Most recently, she was promoted to eligibility referral supervisor and is now able to support not only her community, but also her team in a new way.

In this position she supervises a staff of 13 in the public assistance unit. She is responsible for reviewing reports to ensure cases are done correctly, assigning daily duties and assisting staff with case-specific questions.

Of the position, Henry said, “You have to have compassion in this job. It’s necessary to have empathy and be able to put yourself in another’s shoes.”

Henry and her husband Joby have three boys together and enjoy raising their children in the same community they both grew up in. When her children were enrolled, Henry served on the board for the Montessori Preschool in Coshocton.

Henry described Coshocton as a safe and quaint hometown.

“Coshocton has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it took me moving away from home after high school to open my eyes and appreciate what is here. I’m hopeful for my kids' generation that Coshocton will continue to grow and improve,” she said.

To make the county stronger, Henry wants buy-in from the younger generation. When asked what that would look like, she said, “That they show care for the community like our current leaders do and volunteer to get involved and help with Coshocton’s growth. We have to be able to pass the stick off to people that care like we do.”

Henry was encouraged by leaders at CCDJFS to participate in Leadership Coshocton. She said she would like to gain exposure to different programs and resources in the community and county she’s not aware of. She also hopes to get more involved and give back to the community.

Henry would recommend LCC for others. “I think it not only provides an education on the community, but also gives exposure to programs and organizations we can contribute to but otherwise may not realize are there,” she said.