Jane Lawton

Jane Lawton
Born	(1944-05-24) May 24, 1944 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	November 29, 2007(2007-11-29) (aged 63)
Occupation	Politician
Years active	1981–2007
Known for	Maryland House of Delegates member; Chairperson (Mayor) of Town of Chevy Chase; President of NATOA

Jane Lawton (May 24, 1944 – November 29, 2007) was a Maryland-based American politician affiliated with the Democratic Party. In recognition of her contributions, the community center in Leland Park, Chevy Chase, was renamed the Jane E. Lawton Community Center on June 14, 2009.

Early life and education

Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma to parents Clarence and Ruth Alice England, Lawton completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Career

Following her graduation, Lawton had a brief tenure at IBM before becoming Special Assistant to Carl Albert, then Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, a position she held until 1974. She began her local government service in 1981 as a member of the Town of Chevy Chase Town Council, progressing to roles as treasurer and eventually chairperson (a role equivalent to mayor). Subsequently, she served as Special Assistant to Montgomery County Executive Neil Potter and later took on the role of County Cable Administrator under Doug Duncan.

Lawton was appointed to succeed John Hurson in the Maryland House of Delegates and secured election in 2006. During her legislative service, she successfully sponsored two bills and contributed as a member of the Environmental Matters Committee. After her passing, two more bills she had worked on were enacted, including a Farms-to-Schools initiative planned for introduction in 2008.

Legislative notes

• Supported the Healthy Air Act (SB154) in 2006
• Voted in favor of raising the sales tax by one percentage point to 6% as part of the Tax Reform Act of 2007 (HB2)

Death

Lawton passed away due to apparent heart failure on November 29, 2007, shortly after delivering a speech in downtown Washington. She was declared deceased at George Washington Hospital Center.

Her longstanding involvement with the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), including serving as its president, is commemorated through the annual Jane E. Lawton Commemorative Award established in 2008. This award honors elected officials dedicated to advocating for community interests in communications.

In addition, the Jane Lawton internship within the President's Leadership Class was created to honor her legacy and foster leadership development among future generations.