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Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a prominent attorney and politician, served as Maryland's first female Lieutenant Governor and continues to advocate for public service and Democratic causes.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend became the chair of American Bridge in 2010, a non-profit organization focused on raising funds for Democratic candidates and causes. She expressed a desire for the organization to compete financially with Republican fundraising groups.
Since 2021, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend has served as an advisor on retirement for the United States Department of Labor.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is an adjunct professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a senior Nitze fellow at St. Mary's College of Maryland.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is the chair of the Institute for Human Virology at the University of Maryland.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is on the board of directors of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is on the board of directors of the Points of Light Foundation.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is on the board of directors of the Center for American Progress.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is on the board of directors of Catholic Democrats.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is on the Board of Selectors of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is on the board of directors at the Lightbridge nuclear fuel technology company.
Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend was born on July 4, 1951, in Greenwich, Connecticut, the eldest of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel’s eleven children. She is the oldest grandchild of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy. Her early life was marked by her family’s political legacy and a strong emphasis on public service. She attended Radcliffe College, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and literature in 1974, and later continued her education at the University of New Mexico School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctor degree in 1978. Following law school, she practiced law in Connecticut and served as a law clerk for a U.S. District Court Judge. She also gained early political experience working on her uncle Ted Kennedy’s 1980 presidential campaign and as a policy analyst for Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the early 1980s.
In 1984, Townsend relocated to the Baltimore area, where she was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1985. Her political career in Maryland began with a bid for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, which was unsuccessful. Despite this initial setback, she continued her public service within the Maryland state government, holding several positions, including assistant Attorney General. Her experience also extended to the federal level, working at the U.S. Justice Department in 1993, where she oversaw grants to local police departments and community groups.
A significant turning point in her career occurred in 1994 when she was selected as the running mate for Parris Glendening in his campaign for Governor of Maryland. Their victory made her the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, a role she held from January 18, 1995, to January 15, 2003. During her two terms, she focused on initiatives aimed at crime reduction and economic development, such as the “HotSpot Communities Initiative” and the “Break the Cycle” program. She ran for Governor of Maryland in 2002 but was unsuccessful. Post-political office, Townsend became involved in various academic and non-profit organizations, including serving as chair of American Bridge, a fundraising organization for Democratic candidates, and an advisor on retirement for the United States Department of Labor since 2021. She has also authored a book, “Failing America’s Faithful: How Today’s Churches Are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way,” published in 2007.
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