This is an excerpt of a piece published in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Read the full piece here.
The COVID-19 crisis demands leadership at its best and women are answering the call in Cincinnati and Ohio.
Women everywhere have the opportunity to step up and lead in their neighborhoods and communities. No act of empathy, kindness or leadership is too small or too large in a time like this.
I am inspired by women like Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton who is helping government leaders, health workers and the public understand COVID-19 and combat its spread.
Dr. Acton is no stranger to adversity, having grown up in Youngstown, Ohio, which was hit hard by the closure of steel plants in the 1970s. As a child, her family once struggled to find housing and lived through a winter in a tent. She overcame adversity, perhaps her early trials prepared her to lead tirelessly now.
As a woman leader working with nearly 70 communities around our country, I feel a tremendous responsibility to encourage other women leaders, especially as we face these unique health and economic challenges.
As we face the COVID-19 pandemic, let’s take time to connect and support each other, lifting each other up whenever we can. Together, we can widen the path for every young woman, today and in the decades to come.