Hollie R. Hinton, an Ohio native raised in Chillicothe, was named the first director of Governor Ted Strickland's Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach, which promotes public policy that advances the status of women and girls in the areas of economic development, health, education and personal safety.
Raised in a care home for disabled veterans that her mother owned and operated, Hinton developed an understanding of how issues can impact underserved populations from an early age. As she grew, her perspective on women's everyday lives was deeply influenced by her mother, whose poor, rural upbringing was shaped by challenging and difficult experiences. Hinton saw that such dynamics were not unique to her mother. Instead, similar experiences were common among local women, which became of particular interest to Hinton.
After a year of study in Spain and another year serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Puerto Rico, Hinton began to recognize the global scope of women’s needs and this strengthened her commitment to addressing them. She decided to pursue a career in public policy, an area where she felt she could help create sustainable improvement in women's lives.
Her professional background includes managing public affairs in reproductive health, event coordinating and political fundraising at local, state and national levels. Hinton holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and a graduate certificate in Women's Studies from the University of Cincinnati.