Quick Facts
Biography
Jane Murphy Timken (born November 5, 1966) is the current Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. She was elected on January 6, 2017 and is the first woman in the history of the State of Ohio to serve as Chairman.
She previously served as Vice-Chairman of the Stark County Republican Party, where she was responsible for fundraising efforts, candidate recruitment, volunteer engagement, campaign logistics, and implementation of strategy. At the 40th Republican National Convention in Tampa, Jane was a Congressional District 16 Delegate and Co-Chairman of the Sub-Committee Restoring Constitutional Government.
Education
Timken graduated cum laude from Harvard College, where she received the John Harvard Scholarship for Academic Achievement and the Elizabeth Cary Agassiz Certificate of Merit. She played for the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club. She received her J.D., summa cum laude, from The American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C., graduated in the top 10% of her class, and served as a Note & Comment Editor of The Administrative Law Journal of the American University.
Early life and career
Timken began her legal career with Black McCuskey, where she specialized in civil litigation, employment law, workers’ compensation, and medical malpractice defense. She served as a Magistrate and law clerk to the Honorable Judge Sara Lioi in the Court of Common Pleas in Stark County, Ohio. While practicing with the Soles Law Offices, she devoted her time to civil matters, business, and construction-related concerns. Prior to attending law school Jane worked at Davis, Polk & Wardwell in Washington, D.C. as a legal assistant in civil and criminal white collar defense matters. She is licensed to practice in the State of Ohio, is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and before the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a member of the Stark County Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, and American Bar Association.
Timken previously served as a Director of CommQuest, which provides substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, adoption services, a homeless shelter, and Samaritan’s Food Table. She served as a Trustee of St. George’s School, an independent co-educational boarding school, and a Director of North Canton Medical Foundation. She is a Harvard College Alumni Interviewer and a member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, serving on the Archangel Fund.
She served nine years as a Trustee of Kent State University, where she was Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Additionally, she chaired the Academic Workgroup of the Northeast Ohio Universities Collaboration and Innovation Study Commission established by the Ohio General Assembly to improve quality, access, and efficiencies in public higher education.
Having lived in Stark County, Ohio since 1994, Timken has served on numerous boards. She was a long-standing Director of ArtsinStark, serving as Chairman of the Board, and held a production role in presenting the art and cultural experience of Kimono as Art, The 20th Century Masterworks of Itchiku Kubota. She was a member of the Board of Directors of Trillium Family Solutions, Center for Grief Counseling & Education, Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, and the former Unizan Financial Corp. Additionally, she served as Treasurer of Canton Regional Transit Authority Tax Levy.
Family and personal life
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jane lives in Stark County, Ohio with her husband W.J. (Tim) Timken, Jr., Chairman, CEO, & President of TimkenSteel. She has two children.