Adrienne Jones

Political Party: Democratic

District: 10, Baltimore County

Adrienne A. Jones was born on November 20, 1954, in Cowdensville in Arbutus, Maryland. She attended Baltimore County public schools and graduated from Lansdowne Senior High School in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jones shattered two glass ceilings when she was unanimously elected by the full House of Delegates to serve as the first African American and first woman Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates in 2019. Prior to becoming Speaker, she also held the distinction of being the first African American woman to serve as Speaker Pro Tem, a position she held for 16 years under Speaker Mike Busch.

Before her legislative career, Jones spent over 37 years in Baltimore County government. She served as the first Executive Director of the Baltimore County Office of Fair Practices and Community Affairs and later as Deputy Director of the Baltimore County Office of Human Resources until her retirement from county government on June 30, 2014. During her civil service career, she founded the annual Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival.

Education

Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County .

Political Experience

Jones has been a State Delegate since 1997, when she was appointed to fill a vacant seat in the 10th district following the death of a sitting delegate. She was subsequently elected in 1998 and has won every reelection since.

As Speaker, she led the Maryland House of Delegates in passing significant legislation, including The Blueprint for Maryland's Future, a 10-year plan representing the largest investment in education in Maryland history. Much of her legislative focus has centered on education and civil rights, with her signature achievement being an anti-discrimination bill addressing hate crimes based on sexual orientation.

Jones served on the House Appropriations Committee and chaired the Capital Budget and Education, and Economic Development Subcommittees. She has served on well over thirty task forces, committees, and commissions throughout her career.

In February 2019, she received the Casper R. Taylor, Jr. Founder's Award, the highest award given to members of the House of Delegates. She has been named three times to The Daily Record's "Top 100 Women in Maryland" and was inducted into the Circle of Excellence for Sustained Achievement. She was also selected for Governing Magazine's Women in Government Leadership Program Class of 2016.