{{Short description|American politician (born 1955)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Verna L. Jones-Rodwell | image = File:Verna L. Jones (2007).jpg | caption = Jones-Rodwell in 2007 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|11|27}} | birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | state_senate = Maryland | district = 44th | term_start = January 2003 | term_end = January 14, 2015 | predecessor = Clarence M. Mitchell, IV | successor = Shirley Nathan-Pulliam | party = Democrat | occupation = | majority = | relations = | spouse = | children = | footnotes = | state_delegate2 = Maryland | district2 = 44th | term_start2 = 1999 | term_end2 = 2003 | president = | predecessor2 = John D. Jefferies | successor2 = Keith Haynes | order3 = | term_start3 = | term_end3 = | predecessor3 = | successor3 = }}
'''Verna L. Jones-Rodwell''' (born November 27, 1955) is an American politician who represented the 44th legislative district in the Maryland State Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa12253.html|title=Ruth M. Kirk, Maryland State Delegate|work=md.gov|access-date=2007-06-30|archive-date=2008-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919195903/http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa12253.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Senator Jones-Rodwell was also the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland from 2007 to 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/msa02779.html|title=Verna L. Jones-Rodwell, Maryland State Senator|work=md.gov|access-date=2007-06-30|archive-date=2008-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919191127/http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/msa02779.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Background== {{Expand section|date=June 2008}} Jones-Rodwell was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 27, 1955. She graduated from the University of Maryland College Park, B.A. (urban studies & community organization), 1978; Baruch College, City University of New York, M.P.A., 1987.
==In the legislature== Jones-Rodwell became a member of Senate on January 8, 2003. She was assigned to the Senate's Budget and Taxation Committee in 2003. (public safety, transportation & environment subcommittee, 2003-); Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, 2003-; Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 2003-; Special Committee on Substance Abuse, 2003-. Chair, Joint Committee on the Management of Public Funds, 2007-. Member, Special Joint Committee on Pensions, 2003. Jones-Rodwell is a former chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and the current chair of the Baltimore City Senate Delegation.
On April 20, 2014, Jones-Rodwell announced that she had decided to retire and would not compete in the upcoming June 2014 democratic primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/04/21/baltimore-senator-verna-jones-rodwell-to-retire/|title=Baltimore Senator Verna Jones-Rodwell To Retire|date=21 April 2014|publisher=ABC2 News Baltimore|access-date=April 25, 2014|archive-date=30 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430063144/http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/04/21/baltimore-senator-verna-jones-rodwell-to-retire/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Awards and designations == As a politician and active social life, she served on various key posts, and achieved a number of awards:
* ''Special Assistant to City Manager, Berkeley, California, 1986-87.'' * ''Director of Local and Regional Programs, Coordinator of Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Communities Initiative and Director of Market Development, Development Training Institute, 1987-97.'' * ''Founder and president, Collaborative Solutions, 1998'' * ''Director, Baltimore Main Streets. Chair, Maryland Public Policy Committee,'' * ''National Black Women's Health Project, 1990-96.'' * ''Board of Directors, Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, 1993-2000.'' * ''President, Women Behind the Community, Inc., 1994-96.'' * ''Board of Directors, Flemming Fellowship Center for Policy Alternatives, 1999.'' * ''Westside Renaissance, Inc., 1999.'' * ''Alzheimer's Association of Greater Maryland, 2001-09.'' * ''Baltimore Heritage, Inc., 2001-. President and Founder,'' * ''Community Building Network, 2002'' * ''Board of Directors, Martha's Place, 2004'' * ''Board of Directors, Alzheimer's Association (national). Delegate, Democratic Party National Convention, 2008.'' * ''Member, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.'' * ''Adjunct faculty, Goucher College.'' * ''Verda F. Welcome Award, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 2001.'' * ''Henry Toll Fellowship, Council of State Governments, 2003.'' * ''Award of Excellence, Maryland Women for Responsible Government, 2003.'' * ''Living Women History Makers' Award.'' * ''National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., 2004.'' * ''Maryland's Top 100 Women,'' Daily Record, ''2005, 2008, 2011 (Circle of Excellence).'' * ''Dedicated Service Award, Woman Power, Inc., 2006.'' * ''Helen S. Schulze Award for the Advancement of Alzheimer's Research, Alzheimer's Association, 2007.'' * ''Certificate of Appreciation, Maryland Municipal League, 2008.'' * ''Member, Payne Memorial African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Baltimore.''
== Attribution ==
* {{Source-attribution|Awards and designations section https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/former/html/msa02779.html}}
==References== {{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Verna L.}} Category:Democratic Party Maryland state senators Category:African-American state legislators in Maryland Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:20th-century African-American women politicians Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:Politicians from Baltimore Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni Category:Baruch College alumni Category:Women state legislators in Maryland Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century members of the Maryland General Assembly