Jane Lawton, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and the cable administrator of Montgomery County, Maryland, died today (Nov. 29) in Washington D.C.
The 63-year-old county executive collapsed shortly after giving a presentation on cable competition at a U.S. Department of Justice-sponsored symposium on telecommunications. According to attendees, emergency responders labored to restart Lawton’s heart and respiration, but she died shortly after at a local hospital.
Isiah Leggett, Montgomery County Executive, lauded Lawton as a dedicated public servant.
“We have lost a gifted and talent individual who contributed to this community in many ways as an administrator and elected official,” he said in a prepared statement.
Lawton was active in the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, having served as a president of that group. She was protective of the citizens of Montgomery County, drafting local legislation such as a cable consumer bill of rights that became models for regulators in other communities.
