Gina M. Ginn, ’05MA, ’10 PhD, was raised to believe in serving the underserved. Her mother’s career in public health allowed her to witness the impacts of poverty and mental health issues on marginalized communities.

Today she serves as CEO of the Columbus Early Learning Centers, where she carries on a legacy of uplifting those who need it most.

Ginn’s call to help others began with earning a degree in biology with a goal of becoming a physician. Then, she took a gap year and worked as an educational consultant for her sorority. In this role, she visited a wide array of universities and connected with women, giving guidance and support to member chapters. She also helped to establish new chapters.

But during homecoming at her alma mater, University of Cincinnati, Ginn saw some friends who were in medical school. “They looked exhausted,” she said. “And I thought, ‘This isn’t looking how I thought it would be.”

She started to reevaluate why she wanted to be a physician. “My mom’s public health career ultimately defined the road that I took,” she said. “Even today, what I do is related to public health.”

Ginn had seen many college campuses during her gap year, so she decided to explore educational leadership. She visited seven master’s programs across the country. When she arrived at Ohio State for an admissions interview, her plane touched down late in a stormy Columbus.

A rain-soaked Ginn arrived for her on-campus interview, “I think I was three or four hours late,” she said. “I looked like a drowned rat. I thought there’s no way they’ll take me seriously.”

“But when I got here, they were like, ‘Here’s a towel. Let’s dry you off. How can we help?’”

The interview process occurred over two days. “It was a fantastic experience. The support, the camaraderie, it felt very much like I was home.” Ginn was accepted at Ohio State. “When I got here, I really felt it was the right fit.”

Learning in action at Ohio State

Ginn’s Ohio State experience in the Educational Policy and Leadership Program began in a whirlwind. “I was on the road until August and started school in September,” she said. “It’s hard to find an apartment in Columbus when you’re not living there.”

Eventually, all the pieces fell into place, and Ginn began her studies. She recalled her first day of class with Professor Ada Demb, now emerita, who introduced her to the rigorous standards of upper-level education.

“We had to read 600-700 pages weekly,” Ginn said. “This taught me how to triage information for what’s most important.”

Professor Susan Robb Jones, now emerita, helped shape Ginn’s understanding of the world through service learning with a social justice approach. “The program was in its infancy,” Ginn said. “We were looking at how you implement service learning. That course opened for undergrads the next semester. Jones was essentially building the plane as she was flying it. And we were her test subjects.”

What Ginn finds so powerful is that those service-learning courses created for undergraduates are still happening. “Those students still come through our centers,” Ginn said, “and some are still working with us today.”

Through this experience, Ginn learned methods for integrating learning from her coursework into tangible benefits for communities. “We looked at why people are in poverty, and how to work within systems to create pathways out of poverty,” she said.

This knowledge proved useful to her volunteer work with several community committees during her master’s. “Our entire work was encapsulating how can we change the experience for women in Columbus,” she said.

A seamless transition to a doctorate

Ginn moved without interruption from master’s diploma to pursuit of a PhD. “I never left Ohio State,” she said. “I started taking (doctoral) courses as soon as I graduated.”

She was the only student among her peers who worked full time while pursuing her PhD. During her dissertation research, she was a full-time fundraiser for United Cerebral Palsy.

The tremendous workload she upheld during those years would ultimately pay off. “I would never give the experience back,” she said. “I use my PhD every single day at work. It was definitely the best decision for me.”

Ginn’s doctoral mentor was Associate Professor David Stein, now emeritus, who instilled a great sense of self-sufficiency within her and her peers.

“As a student, you believe your advisor is your advocate,” she said. “They are not. They are teaching you how to be your own advocate. I don’t think any of us got that until after graduating.”

Stein challenged them, and as she and her peers presented papers at conferences, Ginn recognized that their work was superior. “(Stein) was advising us how to become the best scholar from a top-tier research university, how to make an argument and stand behind it.”

Ginn’s dissertation research focused on women’s leadership. She examined the importance of creating safe, collaborative spaces for them to engage and discuss business decisions.

“I showed what having that community of practice does not only for their confidence and their ability to make decisions,” Ginn said, “but ultimately, it can define who they are as leaders.”

Knowing this, as soon as Ginn became a CEO, she began to assemble her own community of practice. Her career was greatly enhanced by her knowledge gained from her university research. “From an A-1 research institution, graduates have to be in the top echelon of scholars,” she said.

Enriching communities through children’s early learning

Ginn’s past volunteer work on community committees provided a link when Columbus Early Learning Centers was searching for a new CEO. Word got out about her expertise, and they called her.

Several interviews later, she received the offer. She took the professional leap and accepted.

They wanted her to start just 3 days before her wedding. After the wedding, she had two conference papers to present before her honeymoon. The start date was changed, but once again, her life was thrown into a whirlwind.

Since taking over as CEO, Ginn has focused on enhancing the organization so it contributes to improving lives.

“We’ve had a 500% increase in budget from when I started,” she said. “Our commitment is to continue to expand in communities where there isn’t access to quality care.”

Columbus Early Learning Centers was founded on principles addressing inequities. It started humbly with seven kids in one room. It cost 12 cents a day to run the center; however, the women attending paid only 5 cents per day per child.

Today, the center strives to increase opportunities for underserved populations. Ginn works tirelessly to maintain these promises by building relationships, listening to feedback from those around her and staying accountable.

Ginn describes herself as a collaborative leader, not afraid to get her hands dirty. “I wear jeans and a t-shirt every day,” she said. One hour, she’s in a board meeting, the next, “I’m in a dumpster, compressing the trash so we can fit everything for pickup day.”

Alongside her work as a nonprofit leader, Ginn was recently elected to serve as the next president of the College of Education and Human Ecology Alumni Society. This honor follows her role as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee chair.

During her tenure, she hopes to bring forward DEI initiatives by increasing representation. “As chair-elect, my commitment is to help more and more of our alumni feel they can be a part of the university,” she said. “How can we encourage those alums to take part in the work (here)?”

Ginn’s career centers on uplifting those around her. She has gained many valuable insights along the way. Nonprofit management, she notes, is just as cut-throat as any for-profit business.

“Nonprofit CEOs can outperform for profit because we do more with less every single day,” she said. “We have just as strong a business acumen as you see in for profit.”

Ginn’s strong sense for business has been widely acknowledged and acclaimed throughout Columbus. She serves as a commissioner for the Columbus Women’s Commission, which “…plays a vital role in advancing the well-being of women across the city, from promoting pay equity to advocating for fair and just housing protections,” said First Lady Shannon Ginther.

In 2012-13, the Junior League of Columbus, of which Ginn is a sustaining member, honored her with its President’s Award.

With a strong foundation supported by Ohio State, Ginn had the confidence to boldly pursue her career. Today she advises students to do the same.

“Say yes to everything,” she said. “Never believe a job is too big for your skill set. Leap at a job and don’t let your degree limit you.”