Former teacher and tennis coach Judy Hawley also served four terms in the Texas State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Caller Times
Many excellent educators also fill positions of prominence in the political sphere. One of these is Judy Hawley, a former teacher from Texas who also served in her state’s House of Representatives.
Judy was born on Dec. 7, 1945, in Portland, Texas. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1967 from Knox College, a private liberal arts college located in Galesburg, Illinois. Once she earned her degree, Judy inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position in the Gregory-Portland Independent School District. She also served as a tennis coach there.
In 1995, with support from the Texas Classroom Teachers Association and the Texas State Teachers Association, Judy was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent District 31 in the Texas House of Representatives. There she served as Vice Chair of the Transportation and Energy Resources Committees and Chair of the Rural Caucus. She also represented Texas as Vice Chair of the Southern States Energy Board and as a member of the National Energy Council. She was a member of the Texas House for a total of four terms.
Once she left the Texas State House, Judy served on the Corpus Christi Port Commission. She held that position from 2004 to 2016. In her last two years on the Commission she served as the Chair. Her biggest accomplishment during her tenure on the Port Commission was her effort to spearhead the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge replacement project. For her stellar work there, Judy was elected to the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor in 2019. The former teacher also served as the Chair of the Texas State Aquarium Board and Co-Chair of the Chamber Infrastructure Committee.
In rent years, Judy has served on numerous community boards, including those of the South Texas Institute of the Arts, South Texas Public Broadcasting, the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation, Texas Maritime Museum, Regional Leaders Forum, and Citizens for Educational Excellence.
Today, she is 76 years old.
