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The Honorable Mary T. Christian

Ms. Christian served three terms in the General Assembly, Virginia House of Representatives and is an ardent supporter of healthcare legislation.

Ms. Christian received her Ph.D. in 1967 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI with a major in Elementary Education and cognate in Special Education. Her M.A. comes from Columbia University, New York, NY in 1960 with a major in Speech and Drama. In 1955, Ms. Christian obtained her B.S. from Hampton Institute, Hampton, VA (Highest Honors) in Elementary Education.

Mary has been part of the House of Delegates, 92nd District from 1986 to the end of her third term. For more than twenty five years, Mary was a professor at Hampton University in the School of Education. In 1966, Mary instructed at the Michigan State University in the Department of Elementary Education. From 1955 to 1960, Ms. Christian was a school teacher at Aberdeen Elementary School.

Ms. Christian is married to Wilbur Christian. She has two daughters and one son. She is a member of First Baptist Church, Hampton, VA and participates in the Christian Fellowship Choir; Women�s Auxiliary and Chair of the Constitution Advisory Committee.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Standing Committees

• Appropriations Conservation and Natural Resources
  
• Labor and Commerce
  
• Education
  
• Militia and Police

Subcommittees

• Member—General Government, Natural Resources, Compensation and Retirement
  
• Chair—Conservation and Natural Resources Subcommittee #2
  
• Chair—Education Subcommittee #3
  
• Chair—Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #4
  
• Virginia Legislative Black Caucus

Organizations

• General Assembly Women�s Caucus
  
• Sunrise Caucus

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Member—Virginia Interagency Coordination Council, Richmond, VA
  
• Member—State Advisory Board of Gifted Education, Richmond VA
  
• Member—Institute of Government, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
  
• Member—Commission on Future of Higher Education, Richmond, VA
  
• President—Coalition for Community Pride and Progress, Hampton, VA
  
• Life Member—National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
  
• Member—North Phoebus Advisory Board, Hampton, VA

BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

• Member, Board of Directors—Peninsula Association for Sickle Cell Anemia Member, Board of Directors—Sarah Bonwell Hudgins Foundation, Hampton, VA
  
• Member, Executive Board—Y. H. Thomas Community Center, Inc., Hampton, VA
  
• Member, Board of Directors—Patient Advocate Foundation, Hampton, VA
  
• Past Member—Governor�s Commission on Environmental Stewardship, Richmond, VA
  
• Past Member—Hampton Public School Board
  
• Past Member, Board of Trustees—Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  
• Past Member, Board of Directors—American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)
  
• Past Member—Publications and Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Teacher Education, Chicago, IL
  
• Past Member, Board of Directors—Peninsula Nations Bank, Newport News, VA

RECOGNITION / AWARDS

• Ebony Award for Civic and Religious Services, Hampton, VA
  
• Outstanding Educators of America Award, Christian R. and Mary L. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, Hampton University
  
• NAACP Merit Award for Community Services
  
• 1985 Citizen of the Year Award, Kappa Alpha Kappa Sorority, Inc.
  
• Outstanding Citizen Award, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
  
• Images of Excellence Award, Arlington Chapter of Links, Inc.
  
• Martin Luther King Educator�s Award, Kansas City, KS
  
• National Brotherhood and Sisterhood Citation, National Conference of Christians and Jews Cultural Laureate of Virginia Citation, Richmond, VA
  
• Outstanding Alumnus Award, NAFEO, Washington, DC
  
• SERVWA Award for Illustrious Achievement, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.
  
• Award of Distinction for Outstanding African American Women, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
  
• Hall of Fame, the Hampton-Newport News Service Boards
  
• Delegate of the Year Award (House Bill 1330) Peninsula Attention Deficit Disorder Association Social Justice Award, Tidewater Social Justice League
  
• William H. Butts Memorial Award, Peninsula Center for Independent Living
  
• Outstanding Service Award, NAACP, Virginia State Conference