Congresswoman Katherine Clark: Global Down Syndrome Foundation 2023 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award Recipient

GLOBAL’s 2023 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocate Awardee, Congresswoman Katherine Clark has proudly represented Massachusetts’ Fifth District since 2013. The district stretches from the coastal communities of Revere and Winthrop through the northern Boston suburbs to the towns of MetroWest. In the fall of 2022, Clark was elected by her colleagues to serve as Democratic Whip – the second most senior position in the House Democratic Caucus. She previously served as Assistant Speaker of the House, as Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. One of only two women to ever serve as Whip, she currently has the distinction of being the highest-ranking woman in Congressional leadership. Long before her service in Congressional leadership, Congresswoman Clark has been a friend and advocate for individuals with Down syndrome. As a member of the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services subcommittee, she participated in the first ever congressional hearing on federal Down syndrome research in 2017 where she met with her constituents and GLOBAL self-advocate Kate Bartlett and her mother, Jan Tobin. Congresswoman Clark was an early and key supporter of GLOBAL’s efforts to launch the NIH INCLUDE initiative and win significant increases in Down syndrome research funding. Following the hearing, Congresswoman Clark was profiled in Down Syndrome World magazine where she stated, “People with Down syndrome can do amazing things, and I am proud to take part in congressional efforts to help them achieve their full potential.” Prior to her service in Congress, Congresswoman Clark has been active in supporting individuals with Down syndrome. During her service as a state legislator, she sponsored the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress’ Act Relative to Down Syndrome Genetic Test Results (H3825) legislation. In Congress, she has served on the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome and co-sponsored the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014. Before her election to Congress, Clark served her community in elected office as a state senator, state representative, and member of the Melrose School Committee. She also served as general counsel for the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services and as policy chief for the Massachusetts Attorney General. She lives in Revere, Massachusetts with her husband and has three children.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is proud to announce Congresswoman Katherine Clark as the 2023 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award Recipient.