Groundwork Ohio Staff Spotlight: Brittany Boulton

What does it look like to advocate for Ohio’s youngest children while raising young kids of your own? In this staff spotlight, Brittany Boulton shares her “why,” what inspires her leadership, and how families across Ohio fuel her commitment to early childhood policy every day.

Photo credit: Amy Ann Photography

Q. What’s your role at Groundwork Ohio, and how long have you been on the team?

A. I am the Vice President at Groundwork Ohio and I joined the team in January 2024.

Q. What drew you to this work and to Groundwork’s mission? What’s your “why”?

A. My career has centered on working to make sure every Ohio family has the opportunity to pursue the healthiest, best future they can. Investments in young childhood have the greatest return, both financially and developmentally. As a mom of three young children, I have seen firsthand the impact of timely prenatal care, access to routine pediatric well visits, and high quality early learning opportunities. Every mother and child in Ohio could and should have access to these critical resources.

Q. What does a typical day look like for you in your role?

A. My workday changes based on the Ohio legislative calendar at the Statehouse down the street from Groundwork’s office. If we are in state budget season or a busy legislative month, I might be seen walking over to advocate for legislative activity that benefits moms, babies, and kids in one of the many committees that touch their lives. I could be meeting with legislators, their staff, or stakeholders from the early childhood movement including families, child care providers, health care professionals, and business leaders. If the legislature is not in session, I am planning for when they will be! I am traveling the state to meet with community leaders whose work impacts children, taking advantage of learning opportunities with early childhood advocacy peers from other states, and working with our team to broaden and deepen our coalitions, hone our messaging, and stay on top of the best policy ideas growing around the country.  

Q. How would you describe the culture at Groundwork Ohio?

A. The Groundwork team is mission-driven, reliable, warm, and collaborative. We have worked intentionally to create a team on which every Groundworker – regardless of role – has the opportunity to show up as a leader for young children. We try new things, we learn which approaches work and which could be even better, and we constantly evolve and stretch to keep kids at the forefront of shifting political and policy landscapes. We take our work seriously but we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we love opportunities to laugh and share a meal with one another.

Q. What inspires you to keep showing up and doing this work every day?

A. A quick scan of our most recent Ohio Early Childhood Data Dashboard will show you that Ohio’s young children deserve better. Ohio continues to rank in the bottom 10 states for infant mortality, 65% of Ohio’s children are not ready for kindergarten, and families are struggling to cover the costs of child care and other basic needs like food and housing. I have met families and early childhood professionals around the state that are living proof of these data points. These are not just numbers, they are caregivers, moms, dads, and babies. They’re our neighbors and fellow classroom parents, the caregivers in my own son’s infant classroom. It is a great privilege to do this work and I am motivated and inspired every day by the people I meet who commit their lives to young children.

Q. What do you like to do in your free time?

A. In my free time, I co-lead my daughters’ Girl Scout troop, volunteer on my Columbus neighborhood Area Commission, and spend as much time at home with my family as I can. I married my husband Justin in 2012 after we met as Statehouse staffers and my favorite way to spend downtime is snacking and catching up in the kitchen with him about work, the kids, Ohio news and politics, and the boring day-to-day of running a household. Our brilliant daughters are 7 and 9 and we welcomed our sweet little son this past June. As I write this, he is 6 months old and the smiliest baby I’ve ever met! We also decided to rescue a cat and a dog this year upon a very successful lobbying campaign led by our older children. My 2026 New Year’s resolution is not to bring home any new creatures, human or furry!

Q. If you could describe your role in three words, what would they be?

A. Strategic, Communicative, Motivating

Q. Who is someone—inside or outside of work—who inspires your leadership?

A. She will be embarrassed when she reads this, but I am regularly inspired by our President & CEO, Lynanne Gutierrez. She shows up so consistently and fully to her role leading Groundwork, despite having her own crew of tiny people and animals to look after each day. Whether we are meeting with a team member, a legislator, or just stuck in transit with an Uber driver, she has a magic power for making people feel heard. She listens deeply and never forgets the tiniest of details – from technical policy to the books your kids mentioned they like. I can struggle not to let my own mind drift to the next meeting or project throughout the day, and I strive to be more deliberate and intentional like Lynanne is with everyone she meets.

Q.  What’s your favorite memory or moment from working at Groundwork so far?

A. I can’t pick just one! I’ll share a brief highlight reel:

• taking an unscheduled tour of a child care center during our 2024 Roadshow,

• looking out at the crowd of hundreds of advocates packing the Statehouse Atrium and proudly cheering for the early childhood movement on our Budget Advocacy Day,

• bringing my children to our Working Families Rally on the Statehouse lawn when my son was just 13 days old (and my daughters ate their weight in popsicles), and;

• welcoming Governor and First Lady DeWine to share their work connecting with children around Ohio at our Momentum Institute this fall.