Anne Holton
Encyclopedia
Anne Bright Holton is the wife of former Governor
Tim Kaine
, serving as First Lady of Virginia from 2006 to 2010.
, and is the daughter of A. Linwood Holton, Jr., and Jinks Holton. In 1969, her father was elected as Governor of Virginia
, serving from 1970 to 1974. In response to a federal court decision desegregating Richmond Public Schools
, she and her siblings attended predominantly black schools near the Virginia Executive Mansion, contributing to her father's efforts to make Virginia a model for race relations. One of her brothers is Woody Holton
, a professor at the University of Richmond
.
at Princeton University
in 1980. Three years later, she earned a law degree graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School
. While a student at Harvard, she met her future husband, Tim Kaine
. They married in 1984 and moved to Virginia. The couple has three children, Nat, Woody, and Annella.
for Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr.
of the Richmond-based United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
. From 1985 to 1998, she worked as an attorney for the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, where she helped create an award-winning volunteer lawyers' program in Richmond. From 1998 to 2005, she served as a Judge on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for the City of Richmond. Holton was chief judge of the court from 2000 to 2003. She resigned from the bench following her husband's election as Governor in December 2005.
As First Lady, she launched her signature initiative in January of 2007, “For Keeps: Families for all Virginia Teens”, which focused on helping Virginia find and strengthen permanent families particularly for older children in foster care or at risk of entering care. This work led her to a leadership role in the Children’s Services Transformation upon which Virginia embarked in late 2007, which resulted in a dramatic increase in successfully placing and/or keeping at-risk children in permanent families.
Holton has received many awards and honors including the YWCA of Richmond Outstanding Woman of the Year in Law in 2006 and the Annie E. Casey Foundation Families for Life Award of Distinction in 2008.
She sits on numerous boards, including Voices of Virginia’s Children, Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation, and the Advisory Board of Youth-Nex: The U.Va Center to Promote Effective Youth Development at the Curry School of Education. Holton is also active in school Parent Teacher Associations.
Following Thomas Jefferson
's daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph
, she is the second daughter of a Virginia Governor to become First Lady of Virginia.
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
, serving as First Lady of Virginia from 2006 to 2010.
Early life
Anne Holton was born in Roanoke, VirginiaRoanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
, and is the daughter of A. Linwood Holton, Jr., and Jinks Holton. In 1969, her father was elected as Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
, serving from 1970 to 1974. In response to a federal court decision desegregating Richmond Public Schools
Richmond Public Schools
This school division contains public schools serving the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It is occasionally described locally as Richmond City Public Schools to emphasize its connection to the independent city rather than the Richmond-Petersburg region at large or the rural Richmond County...
, she and her siblings attended predominantly black schools near the Virginia Executive Mansion, contributing to her father's efforts to make Virginia a model for race relations. One of her brothers is Woody Holton
Woody Holton
Abner Linwood "Woody" Holton, III is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Richmond in Virginia and is a member of the Richmond Research Institute.-Life:He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and received his PhD from Duke University....
, a professor at the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
.
Education and personal life
Holton earned an undergraduate degree in economics graduating magna cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International AffairsWoodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school has granted undergraduate A.B. degrees since 1930 and graduate degrees since 1948...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1980. Three years later, she earned a law degree graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. While a student at Harvard, she met her future husband, Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
. They married in 1984 and moved to Virginia. The couple has three children, Nat, Woody, and Annella.
Professional career
Following graduation from law school, Holton served as a law clerkLaw clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr.
Robert R. Merhige, Jr.
Robert R. Merhige Jr. , was a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia who is known for his rulings on desegregation in the 1970s....
of the Richmond-based United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
. From 1985 to 1998, she worked as an attorney for the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, where she helped create an award-winning volunteer lawyers' program in Richmond. From 1998 to 2005, she served as a Judge on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for the City of Richmond. Holton was chief judge of the court from 2000 to 2003. She resigned from the bench following her husband's election as Governor in December 2005.
As First Lady, she launched her signature initiative in January of 2007, “For Keeps: Families for all Virginia Teens”, which focused on helping Virginia find and strengthen permanent families particularly for older children in foster care or at risk of entering care. This work led her to a leadership role in the Children’s Services Transformation upon which Virginia embarked in late 2007, which resulted in a dramatic increase in successfully placing and/or keeping at-risk children in permanent families.
Holton has received many awards and honors including the YWCA of Richmond Outstanding Woman of the Year in Law in 2006 and the Annie E. Casey Foundation Families for Life Award of Distinction in 2008.
She sits on numerous boards, including Voices of Virginia’s Children, Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation, and the Advisory Board of Youth-Nex: The U.Va Center to Promote Effective Youth Development at the Curry School of Education. Holton is also active in school Parent Teacher Associations.
Following Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph
Martha Jefferson Randolph
Martha Washington Jefferson Randolph was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, and his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. She was born in Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia and was named in honor of her mother and of Martha Washington, wife of...
, she is the second daughter of a Virginia Governor to become First Lady of Virginia.