Event Details - "Working Towards a More Inclusive Commonwealth" - 2019 Dominion Lecture

Delegate Danica Roem (D-13th) represents the Thirteenth District in the Virginia House of Delegates which includes the City of Manassas Park and the Prince William County portions of Haymarket, Gainesville and Manassas. Born at Prince William Hospital in Manassas in 1984, Del. Roem is a step-mom and a lifelong resident of the 13th District from Manassas. She covered western Prince William County as the lead reporter of the Gainesville Times/Prince William Times from 2006-2015.

After winning a historic election in 2017 to become the first out-and-seated transgender state legislator in American history, Del. Roem joined a bi-partisan coalition of state lawmakers in 2018 to expand Medicaid to 400,000 uninsured Virginians and raise teacher pay throughout the commonwealth. She also helped bring Haymarket its first commuter bus line to Arlington (beginning Dec. 17, 2018) and was thrilled when the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) voted in June 2018 to allocate $128 million to improve Route 28. She continues to advocate for fixing Route 28, expanding access to quality, affordable health insurance, increasing government accountability and making Virginia a more inclusive commonwealth.

The Dominion Lecture is an annual address sponsored by the James Madison University’s Madison Caucus for Gender Equality. Every year, the Caucus brings to campus a notable person to speak to students, faculty and staff about issues vital, challenging and of primary importance to the JMU community. Initiated in November 1975, the series has consistently given the campus a rich diversity of leaders whose voices have energized the spirit and activism of women and men concerned and committed to consciousness raising and progressive action. The event is sponsored by the Madison Caucus for Gender Equality, The Office of the Provost, and various other units at James Madison University.