1. Amy Acton played a leading role in Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
19 Facts About Amy Acton
1. 2.
In January 2025, Acton declared her candidacy for the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election.
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Amy Acton attended Youngstown State University and earned a medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University in 1990, working to pay her way through college.
4.
Amy Acton completed her residency in pediatrics and preventive medicine.
5.
Amy Acton earned a master's in public health from Ohio State University.
6.
Amy Acton completed her residencies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
7.
Amy Acton taught at Ohio State University as an associate professor of public health.
8.
Amy Acton worked at the Columbus Foundation as a grants manager.
9.
In January 2025, Amy Acton declared her candidacy for the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election.
10.
In 2020, prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amy Acton advised Governor Mike DeWine, who became the first US governor to close schools and limit gatherings to no more than 100 people, despite the fact that Ohio, at the time, had only three confirmed cases.
11.
Amy Acton was an advocate of postponing the 2020 Ohio Democratic presidential primary, which was slated for March 17,2020.
12.
Amy Acton then ordered polling places closed due a public health emergency.
13.
On May 20,2020, the Ohio Senate unanimously voted against a proposal advanced by state House Republicans that would have limited the power of DeWine and Amy Acton by restricting Ohio Department of Health orders to 14 days and requiring any extensions to be approved by a state joint legislative committee.
14.
Amy Acton was succeeded by Lance Himes as interim director.
15.
On February 4,2021, Amy Acton stepped down from her position in the Columbus Foundation as she considered a run for the Senate in 2022 to succeed Rob Portman.
16.
However, Amy Acton chose not to run in April 2021 while thanking Ohioans for an "outpouring of support".
17.
In 2022, Amy Acton was named as president and chief executive officer of RAPID 5, a nonprofit organization that is attempting to improve access to parks in Franklin County, part of the greater Columbus area.
18.
In 2010, Amy Acton married Eric Amy Acton, a middle-school teacher and track coach.
19.
Amy Acton was previously married to Douglas Beech, with whom she had three children.