2024
Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame
Honoree

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.

Since becoming Speaker, she has led the Maryland House of Delegates in passing some of the most consequential bills in a generation. Speaker Jones ushered through The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a 10-year plan that makes the largest investment in education in Maryland history. She implemented the nation’s first comprehensive statewide policy agenda for racial and economic justice and made transformational police reforms, including making Maryland the first state in the nation to repeal the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. To protect women’s reproductive health care, she led the effort to enshrine the right to reproductive freedom in Maryland’s Constitution.

Prior to her election as Speaker, she 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.

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 was named three times to The Daily Record’s “Top 100 Women in Maryland” and was inducted into the Circle of Excellence for Sustained Achievement. 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 and founded the annual Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival.

Speaker Jones was born in Cowdensville, Maryland, a historic African American community located in Southwest Baltimore County. She attended Baltimore County Public Schools, graduating from Lansdowne High School and is a proud alumna of the University of Maryland Baltimore County where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. In 2008, she received an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Goucher College, and in 2022, she received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Morgan State University. She is the mother of two adult sons and proud grandmother of two grandchildren.

“I’m part of an organization whose motto is, ‘Each one reach one; each one teach one.’ That motto reminds me of why it’s important to do this work. It’s not about making history – it’s about public service and blazing a path for more women to come after us.” – Adrienne A. Jones