As part of our “Get to Know Groundwork” series, we’re spotlighting our amazing colleagues so you can get to know the dynamic components comprising our mighty team. This week, we’re getting to know Marti Ridley, Digital Communications Director. Marti joined the Groundwork team in November 2024.
A longtime supporter of early childhood education, Marti Ridley brings her personal enthusiasm and professional marketing skills to the policy advocacy work of Groundwork Ohio. In her role as Digital Communications Director, she connects stakeholders to Groundwork Ohio’s policy advocacy work through effective and strategic online and digital engagement.
Marti is passionate about volunteerism and advocacy for early childhood education. Over the last sixteen years she has been an active servant leader, providing governance and oversight of one of the largest Head Start programs in the state, Child Development Council of Franklin County, Inc. (CDCFC). She is a proud mom to two CDCFC Head Start graduates, now local high school students, daughter Amaia and son Machai.
Marti enjoys being ‘the smile that makes you smile’ and is known for her positive attitude and solutions-based approaches. Her areas of expertise include advocacy, project management, Head Start and early childhood education, parent engagement, and non-profit management and integrated services.
Check out our Q&A with Marti to learn more about why she is an energetic cheerleader for young children and families in Ohio!
Q: What drew you to early childhood policy research and advocacy? Tell us more about your “why”!
A: During my service with Child Development Council of Franklin County, I quickly discovered how important it is to have passionate educated advocates sharing a cohesive message with our elected policymakers. Federal policy dictated every facet of our governance structure including which children and families we were able to serve. Knowledge of policies and strong partnerships with legislators was critical to the success of our mission, which allowed us to provide high-quality early childhood education to children and support to their families.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or a lesson that you’ve learned that has helped you in this work?
A: “You don’t have to be perfect. Start with being present.”
Q: What’s your word for 2025?
A: Illuminate.
Q: When you aren’t advocating on behalf of young children and families, what do you enjoy doing?
A: I love to start with proximity. Get close to the cause. I enjoy visiting homes, classrooms and business meetings to speak with families, caregivers and employers to hear directly from them about their experiences and how we can help. We don’t have a magic wand, but we can make collective efforts to help children and families reduce barriers and reach success.
Q: Describe a scene from your vision of the future for Ohio’s youngest children and their caregivers.
A: Accessibility to high quality health care— transportation to appointments and easy-to-schedule virtual options. Beautiful outdoor spaces to enjoy with plenty of organic learning opportunities. Safe neighborhoods with housing that people can afford to stay in, providing stability for the entire family and community. Employment opportunities that stabilize households and allow people to enjoy the places where they live and work. An education continuum that has nearly perfected information sharing that allows us to best serve children as they learn and grow into our future problem solvers.
Connect with Marti on LinkedIn or by email.
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