AMY ACTON

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Democratic Party will welcome Democrat gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton to its 65th Annual Dinner on Thursday.

Acton, who served as director of the Ohio Department of Public Health beginning in 2019 and guided the Buckeye State through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, will serve as keynote speaker for the dinner. Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra will emcee the event, which gets under way at 5 p.m. Thursday with a cocktail hour at Undo’s West in St. Clairsville.

The county party states in a news release that it has been proud to feature high-level state and federal officials as main speakers at its dinners over the years.

“The Belmont County Democratic Party welcomes Dr. Amy Acton with open arms,” the party added.

According to her campaign website, Acton grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, part of a family who worked in the city’s steel mills. After a childhood that involved abuse, hunger and periods of homelessness, Acton found her way to a career dedicated to lifting others.

Along the way, she worked as a waitress and delivered newspapers, eventually putting herself through college and medical school to become a doctor.

After medical school, her first assignment was a pediatrics residency focused on the consequences crack cocaine was having on children. She also did a residency at Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University, where she trained in pediatrics and preventive medicine, also completing a master’s degree in public health.

In 2019, Gov. Mike DeWine asked Acton to serve as director of the Ohio Department of Public Health. In that role, her site states, she worked with Republicans and Democrats throughout the state to hold the big drug companies accountable for the opioid epidemic and shape a historic settlement to fund addiction recovery programs. During the pandemic, she advocated for common sense approaches that “not only saved countless lives but also helped Ohio’s economy and schools open earlier than other states.” Acton was awarded a Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in 2021 and was named Woman of the Year for Ohio by USA Today in 2022.

Upon leaving her state-level post, Acton returned to the Columbus Foundation and helped found the Center for Human Kindness.

“Now, Amy’s running for Governor because she refuses to look away from Ohioans who are struggling while politicians in Columbus cater to billionaires and corporations,” the campaign site states.

Issues listed among her top priorities during the campaign include: reducing costs for Ohio families, cleaning up corruption, improving education, lowering the cost of health care, growing Ohio jobs and businesses, standing up for workers, building safer communities, ensuring reproductive freedom and aging in place.

Acton lives in Bexley, Ohio, with her husband, Eric, a lifelong teacher and coach in Bexley Public Schools. Together they have six children and enjoy traveling, exploring nature and spending time with friends and family.

Social hour is from 5-6 p.m. Thursday, with dinner to follow at 6 p.m. To obtain tickets for this event, call party Chairman Phil Wallace at 740-296-0011.

Prior to speaking at the dinner, Acton plans to come to Belmont County for an opportunity to talk with some residents in person about their concerns, thoughts and the issues they are personally facing. A meet and greet is scheduled from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Shaheen Law Group, located at 150 W. Main St. in St. Clairsville. Those who would like to attend the pre-dinner event should call the law office at 740-695-4448.