Jane Swift at Brown

N4N briefly covered Jane Swift's unsuccessful challenge to US Representative John Olver in 1996, and she struck me as being intelligent and ambitious. It was nonetheless surprising when she rapidly ascended to the governor's office in Massachusetts, thanks to how the incumbent, Paul Celllucci, took a post as ambassador to Canada.

Swift had a stormy time in office, catching flack at one point for using a state police helicopter to shuttle her back to her home in western Massachusetts.

Anyway, she's slated to talk this afternoon at Brown. Here are the details, from Darrell West:

Former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift will discuss “Rising to the Occasion:  Public Leadership in Challenging Times” at 4 p.m., Wednesday, September 26 at Brown University.  Her lecture will take place in Salomon Center Room 001 on the campus green.  It is free and open to the public.

Governor Swift served as the first female governor of Massachusetts.  During her term, she worked to improve public education and enhance the economic opportunities available to families and businesses.  She championed legislation that provided a guaranteed college education for foster children and enabled state employees better to balance the demands of work and family.  She was elected lieutenant governor in 1998 and became governor in 2001.  She is a 1987 graduate of Trinity College.