Groundwork Ohio Executive Director Appointed to Governor DeWine’s Task Force on Eliminating Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality
COLUMBUS, OH -- Groundwork Ohio Executive Director Shannon Jones has been appointed to Governor Mike DeWine’s Eliminating Disparities in Infant Mortality Task Force. The statewide task force aims to address Ohio’s racial disparities in infant mortality and will create recommendations on ways to improve Ohio’s investments and strategies to address racial inequalities in birth outcomes.
“I am honored to join the Governor’s task force and look forward to working with local, state, and national leaders to develop actionable solutions to address Ohio’s infant mortality crisis and racial disparities in birth outcomes,” said Groundwork Ohio Executive Director Shannon Jones. “I share the Governor’s vision of improving birth outcomes for moms and babies so that every child can reach their first birthday and go on to reach their full potential.”
In her role as Executive Director at Groundwork Ohio, Shannon Jones has grown the organization’s statewide advocacy efforts into a national model for coalition building and policy success. Under Jones’ leadership, Groundwork Ohio pioneered the Ohio Early Childhood Race and Rural Equity project, leading a thoughtful conversation across the state of Ohio on equity. Another achievement is her vision and leadership behind the Vote for Ohio Kids Campaign, a unique alliance between Groundwork and the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association in partnership with business, health care, and early education leaders as well as child advocates from across the state to ensure Ohio’s Governor prioritizes children’s early education and health.
Prior to joining Groundwork, Shannon Jones served in the Ohio General Assembly for a decade as a state representative and a state senator where she used her trusted influence to put kids at the top of the legislative agenda. Jones’ most significant legislative effort led to a statewide bipartisan mandate to improve Ohio’s abysmal infant mortality epidemic. Her passion helped catapult this health crisis into the public consciousness and as a result, created a uniform and streamlined process for investigating infant deaths, implemented a safe sleep education program and a policy to ensure safe places for newborns to sleep upon discharge from Ohio’s hospitals, and established the Commission on Infant Mortality.
Members of the task force include medical professionals, local and state government officials, nonprofit leaders, parents, and more. More information on Governor DeWine’s announcement and members of the task force can be found here.
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Groundwork Ohio is a committed, nonpartisan public-policy research and advocacy organization formed in 2004 that champions high-quality early learning and healthy development strategies from the prenatal period to age five, that lay a strong foundation for Ohio kids, families and communities. Learn more about Groundwork Ohio at groundworkohio.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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