(BALTIMORE COUNTY – November 20, 2022) – Happy Birthday to our first Black woman Speaker of the House of Delegates!
For those who do not know, she represents Northwest Baltimore County’s 10th state legislative district and has earned her stripes. She worked alongside some pretty smart people in Annapolis. She is upstanding and a tribute to both the state and her race.
Her story …
Speaker Adrienne A. Jones shattered two glass ceilings when she was unanimously elected by the full House of Delegates to serve as the first African-American and the first woman Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates in history.
Prior to being Speaker, Speaker Jones also held the distinction of being the first African American woman to serve as Speaker Pro Tem in the Maryland House of Delegates, serving in that capacity under Speaker Mike Busch for 16 years. Speaker Jones served on the House Appropriations Committee and was Chair of the Capital Budget and Education, and Economic Development Subcommittees. She has been a delegate since 1997.
Speaker Jones has long been known by her colleagues for her steadfast leadership and no-nonsense approach to legislating. She has focused on education policy and funding issues, most notably school construction, during her tenure in the legislature. She has also made significant advances in ensuring diversity and fair treatment of State employees.
In February 2019, Speaker Jones received the Casper R. Taylor, Jr. Founder’s Award, the highest award given to a member of the House of Delegates, recognizing her steadfast service. She has three times been named to the “Top 100 Women in Maryland” by the Daily Record and was inducted into the Circle of Excellence for Sustained Achievement. Most recently she was selected along with 25 female legislators for Governing Magazine’s Women in Government Leadership Program Class of 2016. As the first Executive Director of the Baltimore County Office of Fair Practices and Community Affairs, she faithfully served the citizens of the County for over 37 years. She served as Deputy Director of the Baltimore County Office of Human Resources until her retirement from service in Baltimore County Government on June 30, 2014. During her civil service career, she worked with diverse populations of the County with dedication and sensitivity, providing a listening “ear” to individual citizens, business owners, religious leaders, and elected officials. She is the Founder of the Annual Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival, now in its 21st year.
Speaker Jones was born in Cowdensville, Maryland, a historic African-American community located near Arbutus in Southwest Baltimore County. She attended Baltimore County Public Schools, graduated from Lansdowne High School, and is a proud alumna of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. She attended The National Security Seminar at the U.S. Army War College in 2007. In 2008, she received an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. She is the mother of two adult sons and proud grandmother of two wonderful grandchildren, Jalen and Janelle Jones.