Amy Acton
#56,631 Most Popular
About
Physician, public health leader, and politician known for serving as director of the Ohio Department of Health from February 2019 until June 2020 where she became widely known while leading Ohio's early response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for appearing alongside Governor Mike Dewine during televised briefings. She is also known for becoming the Democratic nominee for governor of Ohio in 2026.
Before fame
She earned her medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University and a Master of Public Health from Ohio State University. She completed training in pediatrics and preventive medicine and eventually taught maternal and child health and global public health at Ohio State.
Trivia
She became the first woman to lead the Ohio Department of Health when she was appointed in 2019. She received a Profile in COVID Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in 2021. She was named Ohio's honoree in USA TODAY's Women of the Year program in 2022.
Family life
She has spoken about experiencing poverty and periods of housing instability during childhood. She has lived in Bexley, Ohio with her husband Eric Acton and their blended family includes six children.
Associated with
She appeared with Andy Beshear at an IBEW labor event in June 2026. She appeared in a 2026 conversation and public event with Gretchen Whitmer.
