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Tom Sawyer was an 8-term Member of Congress. He most recently sat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over a wide range of current and emerging intellectual property issues as well as oversight of the Department of Commerce.
His recent legislative accomplishments include winning support for his amendment to extend broadband services to virtually all inner cities and rural areas over the next five years. Easing the digital divide is just one of Congressman Sawyer’s initiatives to create a skilled workforce. He earlier authored programs to underwrite advances in how math and science are taught, increase adult literacy, and improve teacher training to assure that the workforce of tomorrow will have the necessary technical know-how.
Recently, he also introduced a sweeping, two-bill package on privacy legislation to reform how the government and the private sector collect and protect information on individuals and businesses. Sawyer is a former Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Census and an advocate for the responsible use of data. His bills would seek to build trust in the data gathering process, critical to informed private and public policy development.
Over the last several years, Sawyer has been deeply immersed in Energy Subcommittee work on restructuring electricity markets, with a particular focus on transmission systems and most recently, on resolving the western energy crisis. He has also emerged as one of the most knowledgeable Members of Congress on tire and automotive safety issues as tire recall actions have come before his committee.
Previously, Tom Sawyer served as Mayor of Akron and as a State Representative in the Ohio General Assembly, where he represented the House on the Ohio Board of Regents.
Congressman Sawyer maintains strong ties to The University of Akron, where he received undergraduate and graduate degrees. He is a former member of the Engineering Advisory Council and current member of the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering Advancement Council. He served as a featured speaker at the Second Annual Conference on Intellectual Property Law and Policy at the School of Law |
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