The Creating Healthy Communities Grant is an opportunity that supports community driven initiatives with the intent of creating sustainable changes in policies, places and population health. In 2024, Franklin County Public Health was awarded this grant, allowing for the development of Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) programming.
Based on the social vulnerability indexes (SVI) in Reynoldsburg and Whitehall, these two communities were chosen as priority areas. Additionally, we know that it is crucial to cultivate conversations and create spaces that allow the community to participate in this work. As a result, the program coordinators created steering committees to inform and assist with the work being done. The various initiatives focused on completing community assessments, building relationships with various stakeholders and impacting change.
To further the goal of advancing healthy changes and platforming community voices, we have introduced Community Ambassadors in several areas of Franklin County. We’ve identified that it is important to have individuals who live, work, play or pray in their respective communities serve as changemakers.
We asked the question “Who is ready to serve?” and the following individuals stepped up. Let’s learn more about who they are!
Canal Winchester
Trish Wright is a dedicated advocate for maternal mental health and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) family support. After experiencing postpartum depression with her two daughters and facing the challenges of having a baby in the NICU, she founded Wright’s Way Foundation to provide compassionate, informed care for families during vulnerable times. Trish is also a wife, owner of the production company Celebrity Style Events and co-owner of Taste of Kingston Catering.
She is interested in serving as a community ambassador because she wants to help families and new moms to have access to healthy food as this significantly impacts their health outcomes.
Clinton Township:
Cathy retired in 2024 after working 51 years in the disability field. She began her career at the Muscular Dystrophy Association and later worked for both the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the State Department of Developmental Disabilities. Cathy was recently appointed as the Clinton Township Fiscal Officer to fill the term of the elected Fiscal Officer who left this year.
Cathy and her husband Chuck, adult son Grant and their 3-year old Lab mix RC reside in the home they purchased in the Township in 1980. Cathy has been volunteering with the township for the past couple of years, and currently serves on the Community Health Action Committee. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and working out at the gym.
Cathy is an avid gardener and is excited to find ways to integrate her knowledge into addressing food accessibility in Clinton Township as their community ambassador.
Eastside
Lynn Desamours is a public health professional passionate about strengthening community health through outreach, education and meaningful engagement. With experience supporting maternal and infant health initiatives across Franklin County, she has worked directly with families and community partners to increase access to resources, promote health equity and build trust within underserved communities. Lynn has a strong background in community-based programs, public health communication and cross-sector collaboration, allowing her to connect residents to critical services in culturally responsive and impactful ways.
She holds a Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s in Public Health from The Ohio State University, and brings a heartfelt commitment to service, empowerment and improving health outcomes at the community level.
By serving as a community ambassador, Lynn hopes to expand her knowledge on food accessibility within her community and find ways to foster more meaningful relationships along the way.
Hilliard
Tawnya Lewis is passionate about helping people and connecting them to resources and each other. She has been working with youth for more than 30 years as a Youth Group Leader in the Episcopal Church and is a founding member of HART (Health, Awareness, Recovery, Together). HART provides education to parents and caregivers through a mockup of a teenage bedroom with over 100 items of drug, alcohol and mental health concerns to highlight risks facing youth today.
Tawnya is the Co-Chair of the Hilliard CHAT (Community Health Action Team) with a focus on increasing Mental Wellness in the Hilliard community. She helped spearhead the installation of the Mindfulness Walk along the Heritage Trail and has provided education and resources at more than 50 community events. She also has served on many PTO boards and church groups over the past 20 years. In addition, Tawnya works part-time in the IT field and coordinates lunch once a month for CATCH court.
With this passion, Tawnya will use this opportunity to raise community awareness and expand community access to healthy food organizations and resources within Hilliard.
Prairie Township
Michael Pollack, a Bowling Green State University graduate, has been involved in Parks & Recreation since 2005. He has served with the City of Bowling Green, City of Upper Arlington and Prairie Township. In 2020, Michael became the Recreation Director for Prairie Township. Michael has served as a Prairie Township CHAT member since 2018 and became CHAT Co-Chair in 2023.
With a natural dedication to community service, Michael sees the community ambassador role as an opportunity to further the work he is doing within Prairie Township by expanding programming and offerings for healthy food access, notably through the farmer’s market.
Upper Arlington
Craig Smith is a graduate of The Ohio State University, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology in 1987. In 2021, Craig retired from the State of Ohio after more than 30 years of service. Craig’s work included 22 years with Ohio EPA’s Division of Drinking and Ground Waters Source Water Assessment Program. While serving in this Program, Craig participated in several multi-agency workgroups that produced guidance on issues ranging from human and waste management, geothermal heating and cooling systems and well abandonment. Craig represented Ohio EPA on the Ohio Water Well Association’s Board of Directors, the State Coordinating Committee on Ground Water and the Water Management Association of Ohio.
He is a recipient of the Water Management Association of Ohio’s Wayne S. Nichols Award for demonstrating high qualities of leadership, innovation, cooperation and accomplishment in a water resources related endeavor in Ohio; and for exemplifying personal qualities that mirror the finest in character and public employment.
Since retirement, Craig has been active in the community, serving as Governor of the Ohio District of Kiwanis International in 2021-22, joining the Upper Arlington Parks & Recreation’s Advisory Board in 2024 and helping to create and manage the Tri-Village Packers, a community effort to provide nutritional support to area children over school breaks. Craig has been engaged with the Upper Arlington CHAT since its creation.
Accordingly, he is excited to start his role as the community ambassador, as this would allow for collaborative efforts to continue the work that is being done in Upper Arlington.
