Joan Breslin Pitkin was a delegate to the Maryland General Assembly

Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...

 for 24 years. Pitkin was born in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 in 1932. Pitkin received her college education at the University of Vermont

University of Vermont

The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...

.

Career

Joan Pitkin served as an elected Delegate to the Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 state legislature, Maryland General Assembly

Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...

, in Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

, from 1979 to 2003. She represented District 23, Prince George's County.

Significant accomplishments

During her twenty four years in office, Delegate Pitkin made cancer prevention measures a prime concern and became a nationally recognized health care advocate for introducing landmark health care proposals which have become models for and set standards for the country. Her bills were often passed without the backing of leadership or powerful lobbyists. For example; her work resulted in Maryland being one of two states in the nation to require full disclosure in breast cancer

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...

 treatment alternatives and in legally instituting the two-step mastectomy choice.

Mentoring

Delegate Pitkin often worked with the Maryland Commission for Women and groups such as The Maryland Women's Health Coalition to help them develop their annual legislative agendas. Through membership on the Maryland Women's Health Promotion Council, the state Cancer Council and as a member of the Women's Caucus, Legislative Committee, Pitkin assisted both professional and citizen groups in the development of their legislative programs and priorities. In the 2000 session, as vice chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources, Pitkin, along with several other members, negotiated with state and county health departments; hospital representatives; community health centers and provider groups; scientists; researchers and other academics; constituent members of the Cancer, Heart and Lung associations; and many others in a collaborative effort to determine how the Cigarette Restitution Fund from the Global Tobacco Settlement would be distributed, now and in the future.

Officer/board membership in professional/business/trade organizations

Governor's Advisory Council on Recycling; Member, FDA Working Group on Breast Implant Educational Materials; Member, Breast and Cervical Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Advisory Committee, State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Member, Maryland State Cancer Council; Maryland Representative, Commerce and Communications Committee, National Council of State Legislatures; Advisory Committee on Telework, National Environmental Policy Institute; Member, Maryland Women's Health Promotion Council; Member, State Council on Management and Productivity; Member, U.S. 301 Transportation Task Force; Member, U.S. 301 Implementation Policy Oversight Committee

Officer/board membership in civic/nonprofit organizations

Member, Girl Scouts of America Washington Capital Area Advisory Committee; Board of Directors (past), Bowie Health Center; S.O.C. (Some Others Care) Mentoring Organization; Honorary Advisory Board, Bowie Regional Arts Vision Association; Past Board, C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocates Board), Prince George's County; Member, Bowie Responsible Growth Coalition; Eleanor & Franklin Roosevelt Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 Club; Den Bowie Democratic Club

Awards/honors

Joan Breslin Pitkin won Maryland's Top 100 Women award in 2001, 2003 and 2005, the maximum number of times, which brings her into the Circle of Excellence. The Circle of Excellence is awarded for sustained achievement. The judges are extremely selective at this stage and seek a demonstration that the nominees are still actively involved and proactive in all key areas.

1983-2002: 100% Voting Record Award for Legislative Leadership, The League of Conservation Voters; 1996: Community Service Award, Washington Psychiatric Society; 1991: Legislative Honor Roll, Mental Health Association; 1992: Outstanding Leadership in Cancer Control and Prevention, Maryland Chapter of the American Cancer Society; 1991: Legislative Leadership Award, American Lung Association; 1998: Woman of the Year, Maryland Business and Professional Women's Clubs; 1998: Good Guy Award, Maryland Group Against Smokers' Pollution; 1999: Children's Champion Award, Maryland Foster Care

Foster care

Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....

Review Boards

Recent activities

Since leaving the General Assembly, Pitkin has been a consultant to Prince George's County, protecting its interests before the Maryland General Assembly and State agencies.

Sources

• http://www.mddailyrecord.com/_images/article/top100_2007_4_circleofexcellence.pdf
• http://www.mddailyrecord.com/_images/article/top100_2007_8_allwinners.pdf