Vanna Howard

Vanna Howard
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 17th Middlesex district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 6, 2021
Preceded byDavid Nangle
Personal details
BornCambodia
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceLowell, Massachusetts
EducationUMass Boston

Vanna Howard is an American politician serving as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 17th Middlesex District. A member of the Democratic Party, her district includes portions of Lowell and Tewksbury.

Early life and career

Born in Cambodia, Howard's father, siblings, and grandparents were killed by the Khmer Rouge in the Cambodian genocide. After fleeing Cambodia in 1979, Howard, along with her mother and stepfather, resettled in a refugee camp and two years later, in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston. She recalls her early days in the United States, while she learned English, as "very lonely."[1]

Howard attended the University of Massachusetts Boston and moved to Lowell in 1991 when she was hired as a bilingual legal secretary.[1]

Political career

Howard served on the staff of Congresswoman Niki Tsongas from 2008 to 2019, first as a constituent services representative and later as regional director for the Greater Lowell area.[2]

In 2020, Howard sought the Democratic nomination for the 17th Middlesex District of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She defeated the eleven term incumbent David Nangle, who had been indicted on federal fraud charges, and won the general election unopposed.[3][4]

Howard is the first Khmer woman to serve in the Massachusetts General Court. In 2023, a resolution sponsored by Howard to recognize Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day was adopted by the House.[5]

Howard has sponsored multiple bills that support diversity in education and the curriculum of students, such as, MA H500, MA H524, and MA H549.

Committee Assignments[6]

  • House Committee on Ways and Means
  • Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy
  • Joint Committee on Education
  • Joint Committee on Public Health
  • Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion
  • Joint Committee on Ways and Means

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Neumann, Sean. "Lawmaker Tears Up Remembering the Family She Lost Fleeing Cambodia as a Kid: 'I Never Shared This'". People. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ^ "Massachusetts State Rep. Vanna Howard - Biography | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  3. ^ Lisinski, Chris (2020-11-09). "Here are the 19 new senators and representatives joining the Mass. Legislature in 2021". masslive. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  4. ^ "Vanna Howard (D)". PD43+. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  5. ^ "'Never forget,' says Vanna Howard about Cambodian genocide". Lowell Sun. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  6. ^ "Representative Vanna Howard". Retrieved 15 July 2023.


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