Our goal is to create the largest inter-connected park system in the country.
Amy Acton, MD, MPH, is a physician and community leader who has spent over 30 years pursuing her passion for public health and wellness.
Whether as director of the Ohio Department of Health during early days of the COVID pandemic or as vice president of Human:Kind at the Columbus Foundation, Acton has worked to create community conditions that encourage people to flourish toward their full potential.
Acton now carries her unique ability to inspire people to live their best lives as director of a new nonprofit being created to champion RAPID 5, a movement dedicated to connecting central Ohioans to nature and one another through the region’s five major waterways and the parks and trails along them.
Acton’s widely acclaimed leadership and inspiring guidance was seen in daily news conferences as COVID exploded in the spring of 2020, earning her a Profile in COVID Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in 2021. In 2022 she was named Woman of the Year for Ohio by USA Today for the significant impact she has had.
A native of Youngstown in northeast Ohio, Acton received her master’s degree in public health from Ohio State University and her medical degree from Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine. She completed internships in pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and residency in preventive medicine at OSU.
Acton has taught in the OSU College of Medicine and Public Health and the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She previously directed Project L.O.V.E. in Columbus, an initiative of local hospitals to Love Our Kids, Vaccinate Early. She also worked for the Columbus Foundation as a community research and grants management officer.
Under her leadership as state health director, Ohio created the first ODH deputy director position focused on mobilizing federal and state resources to promote health equity, inclusion and opportunity for all Ohioans.
Acton lives in Bexley with her husband, Eric, who has coached and taught in Bexley City Schools since 1987.
Jennifer Peterson is an accomplished business executive who has helped build brands and manage operations for some of Columbus' most successful companies, while also sharing her strategic marketing leadership with a variety of nonprofits and community organizations.
As Chief Operating Officer of RAPID 5, Peterson brings a lifelong passion for the outdoors and a devotion to community engagement to the role of helping Dr. Amy Acton lead the organization on its quest to bring people closer to nature and one another by expanding access to central Ohio's bounty of five major waterways.
In her seven years with Steiner + Associates as Chief Executive at Easton, Peterson guided the award-winning, mixed-use fashion lifestyle center through innovative expansion and groundbreaking strategies while navigating the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peterson also led efforts of the Easton Community Foundation, which pivoted during the pandemic quarantine to organize and deliver thousands of donated meals to frontline hospital workers and first responders.
Her previous professional experience includes 18 years in various executive retail positions, where she led the brand and business for C.O. Bigelow as the VP, General Manager, and headed up marketing for Victoria's Secret and its PINK brand, Bath & Body Works and Lane Bryant. Peterson also helped launch fashion handbag and accessories startup Jewell LLC, overseeing all design, product development and marketing, in addition to working on iconic brands like Wendy's, Sears and the NutraSweet Co. during her tenure in advertising.
Peterson is on the board of ALVIS, Inc., serves as chair of Leadership Columbus, development co-chair of the Center for Healthy Families and is on the Community Justice Team as a member of First Community Church. She was on the City of Columbus Commission on Black Girls, is a member of Urban Land Institute Columbus and its Women's Leadership Initiative and served for many years as a Junior League of Columbus board member.
Among many personal and professional honors, Peterson has been recognized as a YWCA Columbus Woman of Achievement award recipient in 2021, Women WELDing the Way calendar honoree in 2020, and a GlobeSt Women of Influence award winner as a corporate real estate executive in 2022.
Jennifer has been married to her husband Chris for 23 years and they have three children, Isabelle (22), Millie (19) and Harry (17).
Melissa Sever has dedicated her entire career to public health, and that focus continues in her role as chief of staff for RAPID 5.
From her early days as a health educator through senior administrative positions in state, municipal, academic and corporate positions, Sever has been recognized by colleagues for her ability to build strong, collaborative relationships that move teams to success.
Sever served as senior program manager at The Ohio State University College of Public Health followed by a role at the Ohio Department of Health as chief for Public Health Systems & Innovation.
Sever has also worked in senior administrative positions for Columbus Public Health, first as director of Planning & Quality Improvement and later as director of Organizational Development & Culture. She has also directed workforce development for Pharmacy Systems Inc. and worked as program director for Operation Hope & Health.
Her professional affiliations include involvement with Big Cities Health Coalition, Senior Deputy Group; the Governing Council of the Ohio Public Health Association, and the Workforce Development Workgroup of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
“Nature and the outdoors were at the center of how I grew up” on a farm in rural northwest Ohio, Sever said. She has lived in central Ohio since 1996. Now in Worthington, Sever and her husband have two daughters.
Jon Tolbert, creative director for RAPID 5, is an innovative storyteller who has won acclaim for using digital media to create content that establishes, grows and maintains brands for professional clients and community organizations.
Prior to joining RAPID 5, Tolbert was director of creative marketing for Pelotonia, where he conducted marketing campaigns for Pelotonia Ride Weekend and other initiatives of the nonprofit dedicated to eliminating cancer.
Earlier Tolbert was director of digital marketing for the City of Columbus, a position where he was recognized for his creative TikTok content. His professional accolades include being named a Sprout Social Top 15 Government Communication Leader and a Pixlee Pro Marketing Leader.
Tolbert has worked on projects for the Columbus Fashion Alliance, Brewdog and Land Grant breweries, The Ohio State University Alumni Association, My Brother’s Keeper, Airstream, Stonewall Columbus, African American Wellness Walk, Smart Columbus and Studio Thoreau.
A central Ohio native and Leadership Columbus alumni, Tolbert is on the board of Franklinton Cycle Works, served as communication chair for the Government Social Media Council northeast region and was on the board of the Central Ohio Public Information Network.
“One of the first things I want to do is get people to really believe and redefine the regional overall quality of life by leveraging our natural landscape.” Tolbert said. “RAPID 5 is all about connecting us to nature and each other, but we need to provide some opportunities for that to happen.”
Tolbert lives in Westerville with his wife and their young son and daughter.
Amy Acton has always used her professional positions to promote public health and wellness, and her approach to leading RAPID 5 is no different.
What others may have initially seen primarily as a real estate and economic development opportunity, Acton wholeheartedly embraces as an inclusive vehicle for lifting up all individuals by connecting them with nature and one another.
“We have a rare chance to change lives and increase opportunities throughout our region by bringing people closer to nature and to what connects and sustains us as human beings.”
The former state health director and lifelong outdoors enthusiast is passionate about the potential of RAPID 5 to bridge divides between cultures and communities by increasing people’s access to the healing benefits of outdoor activities regardless of where they live in central Ohio.
“With the energy and enthusiasm already generated by the RAPID 5 vision, we have the resources and the will to turn this dream of healthy connectedness into a new reality of possibility for all of us.”
Keith Myers’ background as urban planner and landscape architect helped him to catalyze a new vision for central Ohio’s five major north-south waterways while he was chair of the Urban Land Institute Columbus. The result is RAPID 5, a movement to connect people of central Ohio with nature and one another across those rivers and creeks and their adjacent parks and trails.
“The creative design expertise we have here to enhance access to our bountiful natural environment is beyond compare. RAPID 5 is about empowering communities to connect people with nature and one another for the benefit of all.
”Following 30 years in private practice and a decade as vice president of planning, architecture and real estate at The Ohio State University, Myers is excited about the potential for RAPID 5 to transform how central Ohio is appreciated by residents and visitors alike.
“RAPID 5 will leverage our region’s rich natural resources to improve our quality of life here, today and for generations to come.”
Tom Katzenmeyer sees the potential for more public displays of art and more places for people to enjoy artistic presentations throughout central Ohio. That’s part of his day job, and now it’s something he is positioned to pursue outdoors as a RAPID 5 board member.
“This movement will force individuals outside of their homes and away from their computer screens and telephones. There will be tremendous mental and physical health improvements. Let’s include public art and performance spaces throughout RAPID 5.”
RAPID 5 has also inspired Katzenmeyer to set a personal goal for more connection with nature. Specifically, he wants to kayak all five major waterways in the region: Big Darby Creek, Scioto River, Olentangy River, Alum Creek and Big Walnut Creek.
Mark Wagenbrenner has made a career of turning once-forgotten brownfield sites into mixed-use jewels that greatly enhance their surroundings. His redevelopment perspective helps him appreciate the RAPID 5 vision of “putting a park within five minutes of every Franklin County citizen.”
Wagenbrenner has always enjoyed the beauty of nature, but seeking outdoor reprieves during the pandemic through walks and mountain biking taught him “that my mental and physical health are far better when nature is a part of my daily life.”
That personal experience and his professional practice combine in support of RAPID 5. “Getting free, easy access to trails and parks along our forgotten waterways and greenways is a gamechanger for central Ohio residents. It won’t only make us happier and healthier residents; it will change the identity of Columbus.”
Kerstin Carr was an original RAPID 5 Project Management Committee member who is often credited with attracting the attention of Dr. Amy Acton by sharing the vision of better connecting people to central Ohio’s five major waterways with her longtime friend. From that serendipitous introduction, Acton immediately saw the potential to improve public health and wanted to be part of RAPID 5.
Carr is an outdoors fan who enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, biking, skiing and canoeing and wants to spend more time on the region’s waterways with her family.
“RAPID 5 is an incredible opportunity to unite the various regional visions and planning initiatives across Central Ohio into one central vision focused around nature and quality of life. Let’s be bold together and think big and strategic so we can create a resilient and sustainable region where everyone can thrive and live a healthy life.”
Frederic Bertley is first a scientist. In his view, “Science is everywhere and for everyone.” From that perspective, RAPID 5 is an opportunity to “connect people with nature and the environment through science. Building science literacy and inspiration helps to fuel our community’s STEM workforce pipeline for the future environment.”
AS RAPID 5 works to increase people’s access to parks and waterways, COSI’s new “Smile on the Mile” walking program has a goal for COSI team members to walk 2,023 miles together in 2023. “We will use the beautiful Scioto Greenways and Dorrian Green Park around our building as well as COSI’s indoor spaces during colder months,” inviting others to share in the fun.
“Our community will benefit greatly if all residents have the benefit of living within 1.5 miles of a park or greenway. I have a particular interest in ensuring both urban and low-income Columbus residents have equitable access.”
Michael Bongiorno knows it is essential for good design to seek balance between people and their natural environment for the mutual benefit of both. For him, RAPID 5 presents the opportunity “to challenge how we approach our relationship with our complete physical environment in a new way.” Bongiorno especially connects with nature when he is in water, having grown up close to an ocean.
“Opportunities like this don’t come around often. We all need to understand the moment and embrace it with all we have. If we really aspire to be a benchmark city of the future for all, then RAPID 5 is a powerful, unique and authentic armature around which we can organize our energies.”
Michael Corey is excited by the RAPID 5 promise of making Columbus healthier for citizens and Mother Nature alike. “Tying the community closer together while making it more appealing for all of us to be active outdoors is a cultural shift all by itself; to pursue this while concurrently improving our green spaces to the betterment of our environment and our economy and our community is why this is such a tantalizing opportunity.”
Like others who were drawn to nature’s serenity during the COIVID-19 pandemic, Corey also appreciates a “renewed vigor and unprecedented momentum toward preserving and protecting our environment” that has motivated him to incorporate sustainability into daily practices. “RAPID 5 stakes out a vision for what our community could be and how we might navigate it – and make this growing community smaller along the way. But we needn’t wait for this tapestry of rivers to be bound together. We can go outside today and explore.”
Dr. Melanie Corn believes RAPID 5, connecting with nature and one another, can help save the planet.“Environmental sustainability can only be achieved collaboratively and will only be sought if one deeply understands its necessity. This worldwide work needs to start for each of us in our own backyards, and RAPID 5 will be an outstanding opportunity for everyone in central Ohio to create those meaningful connections.”
When it comes to exploring the outdoors, Dr. Corn enjoys Metro Parks dog walks and looks forward to kayaking and birdwatching in the future.“I want our community to embrace RAPID 5 as the space where environmentalism, physical and mental health, social justice, and the arts can all come together into an intentional and creative ecosystem that can enhance the lives of everyone in our region.”
Greg Davies appreciates how RAPID 5 fits perfectly in the big picture of significant growth anticipated for the Columbus region. From his unique lens focused on downtown development, Davies is excited about RAPID 5’s capacity to “protect and enhance our waterways and in turn our water supply” as it increases access to nature for all citizens.
As Davies sees it, the nonprofit’s work “provides opportunities for downtown to become greener and more connected to nature and begins a community conversation around important topics that have historically been championed by individuals or individual organizations. RAPID 5 has the potential to tie together the government, environmental groups, recreational groups, the development community…everyone.”
Brian Ellis knows firsthand that developing successful communities is not only about design and construction, but also about lifestyle, connectivity, and bringing complementary elements together where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.
“The vision of a unified greenway system is incredibly compelling. We’ve worked for decades to build Columbus into a major league city by creating spaces, places and experiences that attract people, jobs and economic growth.”
For Ellis, RAPID 5 adds a welcome dimension to local development. “As we continue to invest in our communities, advance Columbus’ image, and enhance the lives of our citizens, coordinated connectivity and improved access to our region’s abundance of natural resources is the next transformative step.”
Jonathan Kass is inspired by RAPID 5’s potential to tap into nature to connect and unite people and communities. “This movement will improve the quality of life for all central Ohioans by creating easily accessible and diverse opportunities for people to connect with the natural environment around us and in turn to connect communities with one another through engagement with the natural environment.”
As someone who enjoys hiking and discovering new parks and trails, Kass sees RAPID 5’s mission as “vitally important both in the present and the future. Given the ambition of RAPID 5’s goals and initiatives, its objectives must be pursued in the present with passion and urgency to ensure the greatest possible benefit for current and future generations.”
Tim Moloney works every day to pursue his philosophy that “getting outside and experiencing nature is the great equalizer for all of us,” even as spending time outdoors has lessened with succeeding generations. “I have been very fortunate to spend my entire career getting people outside, and I have seen these experiences change lives.”
Moloney’s recreation of choice is boating. He has pursued that passion for more than 40 years and is “still discovering sections/rivers where I have never been” because access to natural resources is still lacking. “Now is the time; the stars are aligning and with everyone’s help, we can make great strides in making central Ohio the envy of the rest of the country.”
Bill Stanley heartily endorses a notion he learned from leaders of indigenous tribes with ancestral lands in Ohio – that people are a part of nature, not distinct from it. “Deep down in our bones we all know that we are a part of nature, and it is a part of us. By spending time immersed in nature, we reconnect with that part of ourselves that we may be out of touch with, and this makes us healthier, wise and more whole.”
He especially enjoys spending time paddling and fishing in Big Darby Creek and biking and hiking the area’s Metro Parks and the Big Darby Headwaters Nature Preserve that The Nature Conservancy manages. As RAPID 5 promotes equitable access to enjoy nature for people of all backgrounds in central Ohio, “not only will nature be better for it, but people will thrive and Columbus’ reputation as a world-class city will grow.”
As a physician, Andy Thomas knows the physical, psychological and emotional health benefits of time spent outdoors. “Whether it’s being surrounded by natural beauty, physical exercise related to outdoor activities, or social connections made on outdoor adventures, being out in nature has so many positive health impacts.”
His chosen escape is the Wagtail Trail in the Battelle Darby Creek Metropark, where his three dogs over the past 22 years “spent some of the best days of their dog lives.” Canoeing on Big Darby Creek and exploring the ravine at Highbanks Metropark have been other favorite family pastimes.
“If we don’t take the time now to plan, enhance and innovate how we connect our community to nature, we will miss the window to preserve, protect and expand our most valuable natural resources here in Central Ohio – most notably our waterways and the green spaces that can connect them.”
Janica Pierce Tucker has to be a big-picture thinker as partner in charge of Taft Columbus and in her employment law and management practice. She also likes that RAPID 5 has a vision to connect people with nature and each other, and addressing community disparities in the process.
“The pandemic taught all of us the importance of being able to be outside, take a walk, have a gathering, but not all ‘outsides’ are equal. Some folks didn’t have a park in their neighborhood or safe streets to take a stroll. RAPID 5’s work will improve the quality of life for all ages as it has something for everyone. This work will be for our entire community, and it will last for many generations and change the way we live for the better.”
Tucker enjoys taking walks, exploring flowers and gardens, hiking, and rafting.
Hannah Wexner welcomes any excuse to spend time in nature, counting tennis and trail running among her favorites. “Central Ohioans should have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in all sorts of different ways. We may not live in the mountains or by an ocean, but there is still a huge amount of nature to be enjoyed right here!”
She is most inspired by RAPID 5’s mission “to ensure all members of our community have the ability to access nature and feel that nature is a way to connect with one another. It’s not only about protecting the environment for generations to come, but also about reimagining how our natural assets can improve the health of our communities and the quality of our day-to-day lives.”
RAPID 5 is an evolving vision for how central Ohio can grow by connecting us with nature and one another like never before. It is a resource for engaging and empowering communities and individuals to help realize the vision of a future connected with nature.
The vision started with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Columbus and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) inviting Neighborhood Design Center and five local design firms to gather community input and imagine possibilities for making the region’s unique natural assets a centerpiece for central Ohio’s growth and wellbeing. The five design firms are REALM Collaborative, NBBJ, MKSK, AECOM and EDGE.
Thank you to the 2021 RAPID 5 Project Management Committee:
As central Ohio is on track to become a region of 3 million people by 2050, there is a unique and urgent opportunity to ensure that growth includes plans to preserve and expand people’s access to nature. Connecting people with nature and one another benefits their wellbeing, promotes social equity, spurs environmental stewardship, increases mobility and enhances economic vitality.
RAPID 5 is an acronym for Rivers and Parks Imagination Design. The “5” refers to the five major waterways running north-south and equally distributed through Franklin County – Big Darby Creek, Scioto River, Olentangy River, Alum Creek, Big Walnut Creek.
Over the past decade ULI Columbus and MORPC have convened conversations regarding how and where the region grows with efforts like insight2050 and insight2050 Corridor Concepts. Both organizations were also separately focused on connections between natural resources and wellbeing – ULI through the Building Healthy Places initiative begun in 2013 and MORPC with its 2015 Central Ohio Greenways plan.
RAPID 5 is not a standalone initiative, but one of several major regional initiatives. The region is at the cusp of transformation with efforts like LinkUs, Central Ohio Greenways, Regional Housing Strategy, and many more. Together these efforts will be transformative to the region.
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