Collinsworth
With the announcement of 90th District House Seat occupant Bryan Baldridge resigning to become the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, local leader and development manager Gina Collinsworth has announced she is seeking the open appointment.
“I want to thank Mr. Baldridge for his public service, and his dedication to important work of the 90th District,” Collinsworth said. “I have been overwhelmed by the messages of encouragement that I’ve received over the past few weeks urging me to seek this appointment. It would be a true honor to serve the people of Adams, Brown, and Scioto Counties in this capacity. I am ready to get to work.”
Collinsworth gives her drive to seek the seat to her previous work with Dr. Johnson and her desire to work hard and not give up in order to see success for the 90th District.
“I worked with Dr. Terry Johnson professionally and saw what impact he had with his skills as a doctor and his beliefs in the area and what he wanted to do to develop opportunities for the people,” Collinsworth explained. “I realized that I could also be someone who could run for office and lead in that way. I think now is the time for people to step up and serve and it is a pivot point for how we want to develop our future. Are we going to keep working together on the hard issues or are we going to give up? I don’t give up. I have hope that we can work together and continue to work together on these challenges and overcome them.”
Collinsworth is a local community leader and economic development advocate in Scioto County. This is a seat she has sought after once before, until finding her footing in economic development with the Ohio Valley Regional Commission, where she has worked and helped grow the region.
“I’d like to continue the work I’ve been doing at the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission on broadband. Broadband is an issue that impacts all areas of our life, from the technical side of our life with business and online learning, but, also, a quality of life impact,” Collinsworth stated. “In Appalachia, we are always struggling for better infrastructure. In my mind, broadband is essential infrastructure.”
Collinsworth is also a third-generation small business owner, a Scioto County resident, and brands herself a commonsense conservative. Her professional work has focused on the Appalachian Ohio region, combating the opioid crisis, and advocating for the individual rights and liberties of Ohioans. She also wants to tackle to drug epidemic further.
“I would also definitely continue supporting programs and awareness for battling with the substance abuse issue and the impact on workforce and our families,” Collinsworth said. “It is still one of our top issues we need to keep working on, so I would definitely keep that in focus.”
Collinsworth expanded on her desires by saying that she believes Ohio is a success story and that she sees growth happening in our region and wants to see that growth continue and grow to better serve the people in the area.
“I feel like all of Ohio is on a winning streak,” Collinsworth said. “Development is coming to the Appalachian region and I want to see more of that development coming down into the 90th District. We have a ready workforce, we have that land ready for development, and the people are some of the best people you can ever hope to find in my opinion. We see that trend coming closer and closer to our region and I want to encourage that and see it developed further here.”
With groups like CONNEX and Commissioners and City officials working to develop outdoor and recreational opportunities, she also views these natural resources and activities as a point of focus.
“Tourism is another area that we have potential to develop more and have an instant impact,” stated Collinsworth. “We have a lot of grassroot initiatives that are not only great for residents but will welcome visitors to the area, so I definitely want to work on that.”
Anyone interested in supporting Collinsworth with her bid can submit letters of recommendation to [email protected]. For questions about her interests, Collinsworth can be emailed at [email protected]
Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved
