HENRY GAMBLE, Special to The Denisonian—

Former Director of the Ohio Department of Health Amy Acton spoke in Swasey Chapel Wednesday, Nov. 10. Serving from 2019 to 2020, Acton spearheaded Ohio’s Covid-19 response policy, pushing for  the state to issue responses to the pandemic during its earliest months.

As part of the Ronneberg lecture series, which “aims to bring outstanding scientists to campus to speak on a diverse range of topics” per Denison University’s website, Acton gave an hour-long talk on her professional history and her role in the Covid pandemic response. Beginning with her early influences, Acton explained her youth, growing up homeless in Youngstown, Ohio. 

Explaining her own struggles in finding her path and calling, she said she empathizes with college students who may feel confused in their search for a career. 

“You get lost many times, but you’re not really lost, it’s just part of the journey you’re on,” she said. 

Later in life, Acton went on to work with both the non-profit Columbus Foundation and the Ohio Department of Health to address issues such as homelessness under the sector of public health. 

Speaking about her role within the Ohio Department of Health, Acton explained that a chance meeting with Governor Mike DeWine propelled her to the forefront of Covid response, both in Ohio and nationally. She describes herself as “a very ordinary person who found [herself] in an important situation in the crosshairs of history.” In fact, Acton’s role in the pandemic response led her across the country and eventually to the White House. 

Reflecting on her time working at the forefront of a public health crisis, Acton recalled moments of serendipity that made her a household name in Ohio. Referencing a video titled The Leader We Wish We All Had by the New York Times, Acton explained that being brutally honest was appreciated by her constituents, saying, “the more we told the truth, the more people came to us.”

Grace Han ‘24, stated that she “admired Acton’s brutal honesty” and thought that her message about vulnerability was “very empowering.” 

Ending things off on a more personal note, Acton addressed the Denison student body, from which her son graduated in 2016.  

“You’re beginning a journey that will continue for your whole life,” she said.