Betty Jean Grant
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Betty Jean Grant is an American politician from
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
. She served as an Erie County Legislator from 2007 until 2017, representing the 2nd district, after previously serving the 7th district. Grant was born and raised in
Brighton, Tennessee Brighton is a town in Tipton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,735 at the 2010 census. History Brighton was established in the year 1873, along the newly completed tracts of the Memphis and Paducah Railroad upon the lands of ...
, a small rural town approximately 18 miles from Memphis. She attended
Medaille College Medaille University is a private university in Buffalo, New York. The Sisters of St. Joseph founded Medaille in 1937. Medaille serves roughly 1,600 students from Western New York and Southern Ontario. Campuses Medaille's main campus is in Buffa ...
, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1993. She earned a Master of Science degree in Special Education from
Buffalo State College The State University of New York College at Buffalo (colloquially referred to as Buffalo State College, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo State, or simply Buff State) is a public college in Buffalo, New York. It is part of the State University of Ne ...
. She has also owned a deli and worked as a school teacher. Grant was elected to the Buffalo Common Council in 1999 representing the University District. She served two full terms on the Common Council. As a council member, she pushed to clean up a toxic waste site and created three Economic Empowerment Zones that drew new businesses to areas on Bailey Avenue, Kensington Avenue and Main Street. In 2004, Betty Jean Grant was elected to the Buffalo Public School Board of Education, representing the Ferry District. She was elected to the Erie County Legislature in 2007 and was re-elected in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. In 2012, she began serving as Chair of the Erie County Legislature after both her Democratic and Republican colleagues unanimously voted for her. Grant lost by only 139 votes to Tim Kennedy in the Democratic Primary for New York State Senate District 63 in 2012. She challenged him again in 2014 in a race that drew much attention because of the dollar amounts involved, but lost again. Grant also ran in the primary for the mayor of Buffalo in 2017, making the point that there was a need for greater city investment in the East Side. Grant served on the legislature until 2017 when she retired from public service, and April Baskin was elected that year to fill her seat. Though no longer an elected official, she remains an active community organizer through the We Are Women Warriors empowerment group and is a frequent radio guest on WUFO. In 2018, she received the Western New York Peace Center's Lifetime Achievement Award at its 51st Annual Dinner. That same year she also received the Woman of Courage, Compassion and Commitment Award during the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library's kickoff event for Women's History Month. Legislator Grant worked at the Erie County Board of Elections after her time in the Legislature.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Betty Jean Living people County legislators in New York (state) New York (state) Democrats Politicians from Buffalo, New York Year of birth missing (living people)