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The Montgomery County Council should have known that the economic recession was coming and planned accordingly, according to Jane de Winter.

De Winter, a Kensington resident and economist, said it is surprising to hear council members say that the economic slide was unpredictable.

De Winter, a longtime leader in the county PTA, says the council needs her background and expertise, which is why she is running for a seat on the nine-member council.

"I do think that there should have been some foreknowledge that the recession was coming," said de Winter, 51.

"There were a lot of signs out there," she said, referring to elevated housing prices and the performance of the stock market.

De Winter is among nine Democrats competing in the Sept. 14 primary election. Four will advance to the general election Nov. 2. The salary for County Council members is $94,351.

De Winter, who is married with four children, has been active in county PTAs and in the community for 15 years, she said. She served as president of the countywide PTA from 2006 to 2008.

"Every council member does not need to be an economist to be on the council," de Winter said. "It's not that. There's really just a lack of understanding."

De Winter said she was prompted to run for a seat on the council because of the down economy and what she believes is one of the largest issues facing the county — the demographic change in the county.

She also said the county's baby boomers — traditionally its wealthiest residents — soon will start retiring, and she expects the county's tax base to suffer.

Increasingly, she said, minority students are not graduating from high school: In 2009, 23 percent of the county's Hispanic seniors failed to receive a diploma.

"This is going to be a serious problem," she said.

Because salaries among high school dropouts are typically low, those residents will need more government assistance with housing, food and other needs, de Winter said.

All of these factors will create more expenses for county government, she said.

-Residence:  Kensington

-Age: 51

-Party: Democratic

-Education:  Ph.D., economics, University of Washington; A.B., Brown University, economics and international relations.

-Previous work experience: Instructor of economics at University of Washington and American University; economic consulting at Center for Naval Analysis

-Family: Husband Frederick Joutz, four children educated in Montgomery County Public Schools

-Top three issues: Economy and long-term fiscal outlook; work-force development; education

-Campaign funds: $60,000

-Previous political experience: Appointed by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) to the Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth

-Other affiliations: Past president, Montgomery County Council of PTAs; Committee for the Status of Women in the Economics Profession; Leadership Montgomery 2010.

-Website: www.janedewinter.org