Click the arrows on the photo above to view the photos of the 2022 Changemakers event.
2022 Legislators of the Year
Maryland LCV’s Legislator of the Year Award, established in 2012, honors environmental champions from the most recent legislative session. Awardees are selected based on leadership and commitment to promote and pass equitable laws and policies for clean water, healthy air, and a resilient climate. The 2021 awardee was Senator Cory McCray. [full list of Legislator of the Year awardees here]
In 2022, Senate President Bill Ferguson (district 46, Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (district 10, Baltimore County) were honored by the Maryland League of Conservation Voters (Maryland LCV) as the organization’s 2022 Legislators of the Year. The pair were recognized for their leadership roles in the passage of the monumental Climate Solutions Now Act during the 2022 General Assembly legislative session.
Senate President Bill Ferguson
Sen. Ferguson, a lifelong Maryland resident, is serving his third term as the State Senator for Maryland’s 46th Legislative District. In January 2020, he was unanimously elected to serve as President of the Maryland Senate, making him the second youngest Senate President in state history. Since 2020, he has shepherded key bills that include an unprecedented investment in Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and more than $1 billion in state economic stimulus to support vulnerable Marylanders through the COVID-19 crisis.
“President Ferguson is known for his ability to build relationships with his colleagues and consensus around tough issues,” said Maryland LCV’s Coble. “These skills were on full display during the 2022 legislative session as he effectively built and maintained support for momentous climate legislation.”
House Speaker Adrienne Jones
Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, who has been a delegate since 1997, 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.
“Speaker Jones has long been known by her colleagues for her no-nonsense approach to legislating,” said Coble. “Her perseverance and outcome-based approach were critical in getting the Climate Solutions Now Act passed.”