Claire Janowski was elected State Representative in 2000 to serve the 56th District of Rockville & Vernon. Claire is currently the House Chairwoman of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee and also serves on the Transportation and Higher Education committees.
During her tenure, Janowski won funding to assist local firemen with the purchasing of Thermal Imaging Cameras and worked to establish new laws to benefit Veterans and their families. She has successfully advocated for improvements to the senior and disabled ConnPACE Prescription Program and the Husky Insurance Program for children. Continuing her commitment to downtown revitalization, Janowski acquired over $1,580,000 in state grants for improvements to Vernon’s Central Park, Talcott Park, the Vernon Senior Center and the Town Hall Memorial Building which houses the Civil War Museum. Most recently, she acquired $1.2 million for development of the abandoned Roosevelt Mills and $285,000 for improvements to the Vernon Historical Society Grange Building.
A strong supporter of education, Janowski worked with leadership to approve funding for the UCONN 21st Century and other initiatives to assist our state colleges and Universities with their capital improvement needs. She successfully advocated for increased state special education funding to cities and towns as well as increases in the Education Cost Sharing formula to help lessen the tax burden at the local level. During the state fiscal crisis, she won a special $200,000 local aid adjustment specifically for Vernon and successfully recouped an additional ongoing $592,000 in education dollars to Vernon 2005. Most recently, she advocated and won an increase of over $1.5 million in the 2007 budget.
Rep. Janowski was recognized by the Connecticut Association for Community Transportation (CACT) with the 2006 Friend of Transportation Award for outstanding leadership and dedication to the enhancement of public transportation. She was specifically praised for her successful efforts to safeguard and increase funding for Senior & Disabled Dial-a-Ride Services. She was also recognized by the Community Economic Development Fund (CEDF) with the 2006 Micro enterprise Legislation Award for the passage of legislation to help new and existing very small business, including home based ventures.
Prior to being State Representative, Janowski served on the Vernon Town Council and chaired Vernon’s Human Services Commission. She also worked to establish Vernon’s Youth Services Bureau to help at-risk youth and proposed the successful Main Street Program to help revitalize Rockville’s downtown.
Janowski is currently a Board Member of the Rockville Downtown Association and a member of Vernon’s Bicentennial Committee. She is also a member of the Tolland County Chamber of Commerce, the Vernon Historical Society, and Rockville General Hospital Auxiliary. Previous community Service includes Vernon Planning & Zoning Commission, Board
A graduate of the Hartford public school system, Janowski earned her BA Degree in Psychology at Trinity College in 1988. She also has an Associate’s Degree in Accounting & Business Administration from Manchester Community College and is the recipient of the 2003 MCC Distinguished Alumni Award.
Janowski was employed as a Legislative Aide at the General Assembly prior to her election to the State Legislature. Other employment includes Training & Development Consultant for the Aetna Institute for Corporate Education & Management Consultant/Pension Specialist with Aetna Life & Casualty in Hartford.
Janowski is a long-time resident of Vernon and has two grown sons, Eric and David, who graduated from Rockville High School and graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University.