[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING JACQUELYNN HAWTHORNE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 8, 2023

  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary 
Jacquelynn Hawthorne, who devoted her career and life to serving the 
people of Los Angeles. Ms. Hawthorne constantly sought to help those 
around her through her public service in local government, her 
volunteer work in civic life, and her leadership in her church. Today, 
we are honoring the indelible mark she left on her family, friends, and 
her fellow Angelenos.
  Ms. Hawthorne was a true product of Los Angeles. Growing up, she 
attended Los Angeles public schools, then went on to LA City College, 
UCLA, and Pepperdine University. Ms. Hawthorne married her college 
sweetheart, Addison Hawthorne. Together, they had three children: 
Addison, Valery, and Hillary.
  Thriving in her professional life, Ms. Hawthorne worked for 28 years 
for Los Angeles County, where she retired as chief of the agency's 
Health Care Systems Development Division. Throughout her tenure, she 
modernized the county's Health Services and Mental Health and Public 
Health Departments, ensuring that crucial services could reach all 
Angelenos in the digital age. Through her hard work directing project 
managers in designing, implementing, and maintaining online systems, 
she became a mentor to many at the Health Department.
  Ms. Hawthorne threw herself into volunteer service and community 
action outside of work, seeking to give back in every aspect of her 
life. She served as president of United Methodist Ministries and was a 
board member of Vision for Voices. Believing in the good that local 
government could do, she served on the Los Angeles Commission on 
Community and Family Services, was a delegate for Assembly District 55, 
and was a member of then-Congresswoman Karen Bass Congressional 
Leadership Council.
  Serving and strengthening Los Angeles' Black community was of the 
utmost importance to Ms. Hawthorne. She was a proud lifelong member of 
the NAACP, a founding member of the African American Public Policy 
Institute, and president of the Los Angeles African American Political 
Action Committee. Ms. Hawthorne served as a mentor and friend to 
countless Angelenos and inspired many to follow in her footsteps of 
community service.
  Perhaps the strongest force in Ms. Hawthorne's life was that of her 
faith. She was a proud member of Crenshaw United Methodist Church, 
where she was a soprano in their choir. She traveled the world singing 
and even performed for the pope. Ms. Hawthorne's favorite scripture is 
ever present as we celebrate and remember her remarkable life. She was 
fast to recognize Micah 6:8--``And what does the Lord require of you 
but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your 
God''--as her guiding light.
  On behalf of my constituents in Los Angeles, I share my condolences 
to Ms. Hawthorne's daughter, her extended family, and her friends. As 
we recognize Ms. Hawthorne, I ask my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join me in honoring her rich life and legacy.

                          ____________________