Alvin Brown

Alvin Brown is an American politician from Florida who served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, from 2011 to 2015. He was the first African American to be elected to that position. Brown succeeded John Peyton as mayor after winning the 2011 mayoral election.[1][2] In the 2015 race, he lost his re-election bid to Republican Lenny Curry.[3]

For other people named Alvin Brown, see Alvin Brown (disambiguation).
Alvin Brown
Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
Nominee
Assuming office
TBD
Nominated byJoe Biden
SucceedingRobert L. Sumwalt
7th Mayor of Jacksonville
In office
July 1, 2011 – July 1, 2015
Preceded byJohn Peyton
Succeeded byLenny Curry
Personal details
BornBeaufort, South Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseSanthea Brown
EducationJacksonville University (BA, MBA)

Early life and education

Brown was born in Beaufort, South Carolina.[4] He moved to Jacksonville in 1981 and attended Edward Waters College and Jacksonville University, where he earned his bachelor's and Master of Business Administration degrees.

While at Edward Waters, Brown became a member of the Delta Psi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.[5]

Career

Brown was an intern for Senator Bill Nelson while Nelson was a member of the United States House of Representatives. He worked on the staff of the Clinton-Gore transition team in 1992 and 1993, and then began work in the Clinton administration as a member of Ron Brown's staff at the United States Department of Commerce. Brown was GU Politics Fellow[6] in Spring 2016.

Government service

During the 1990s he served as an advisor to Andrew Cuomo who was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, President Bill Clinton, and Vice President Al Gore.[7] In the Clinton administration, he served as deputy administrator for community development, rural business and Cooperative development services at the United States Department of Agriculture; executive director of the Office of Special Actions at the Department of Housing and Urban Development; executive Director of the White House Community Empowerment Board; co-chair of the White House Task Force on Livable Communities; and senior advisor for urban policy and vice chair of the White House Community Empowerment Board.

After serving in the Clinton administration, Brown worked as the executive-in-residence at Jacksonville University; president and CEO of the Willie Gary Classic Foundation; executive director of the Bush/Clinton Katrina Interfaith Fund; and chairman of the board of the National Black MBA Association.

In November 2020, Brown was named a candidate for United States secretary of housing and urban development in the Biden administration.[8][9]

Mayor of Jacksonville

Brown entered the race for mayor of Jacksonville in 2011. The incumbent Republican, John Peyton, was barred from a third term. Widely considered an underdog in the March primary election,[10] Brown came in second in the six-person race to face the front runner, Republican Mike Hogan, in the runoff election. On May 17, Brown narrowly defeated Hogan by 1,648 votes in what was called the closest mayoral election in Jacksonville history.[11][12] Brown became the first African American ever elected Mayor of Jacksonville, as well as the first Democrat elected since Ed Austin in 1991.[2] The win was considered a major upset in light of the momentum gained by the Republican Party and the conservative Tea Party movement in the 2010 elections, and a significant victory for the Florida Democratic Party.[13] Brown was sworn in as mayor on July 1, 2011.[2]

Brown lost his 2015 re-election bid to Republican Lenny Curry.[3]

National Transportation Safety Board

In August 2022, Brown was nominated to serve as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board by President Joe Biden.[14] On July 12, 2023, the Senate Commerce Committee advanced the nomination. A full confirmation hearing in front of the Senate has not yet been scheduled.[15]

Personal life

While living in Washington, Brown met his wife Santhea. They have two sons, Joshua and Jordan.[16]

References
  1. Rincon, Kevin (July 1, 2011). "Alvin Brown takes over as Mayor of Jacksonville" Archived 2015-07-02 at the Wayback Machine. wokv.com. Retrieved on July 1, 2011.
  2. Gibbons, Timothy J. (May 18, 2011). "Alvin Brown makes history, becoming city's first African-American mayor". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved on May 18, 2011.
  3. Monroe, Nate; Bauerlein, David (May 19, 2015). "Lenny Curry takes City Hall, defeats Mayor Alvin Brown". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  4. Peterson, Kyle (June 6, 2011). "Florida mayor-elect's roots grew deep in Lowcountry soil" Archived 2011-08-12 at the Wayback Machine. The Island Packet. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  5. Craige, Brent (2021-10-13). "The First Black Mayor of Jacksonville, FL Alvin Brown Is A Member of Kappa Alpha Psi". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  6. "Alvin Brown". Institute of Politics and Public Service. Georgetown University. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  7. Gibbons, Timothy J. (May 10, 2011). "Alvin Brown's Washington experience extensive, somewhat elusive". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved on May 20, 2011.
  8. "Who Are Contenders for Biden's Cabinet?". The New York Times. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  9. Gancarski, A. G. (2020-11-09). "Alvin Brown to lead HUD? Here's what Jacksonville insiders think". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  10. "Alvin Brown a player in mayor's race, if not a favorite to win". The Florida Times Union (January 9, 2011). Retrieved on May 18, 2011.
  11. "Closest Mayor's Race In History Archived 2011-05-21 at the Wayback Machine". News4Jax.com (May 17, 2011). Retrieved on May 18, 2011.
  12. Gibbons, Timothy J. (May 19, 2011). "Jacksonville Mayor-elect Alvin Brown celebrates, begins transition with Peyton". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved on May 20, 2011.
  13. Smith, Adam C. (May 20, 2011). "In Jacksonville mayoral loss, lessons for Florida GOP" Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  14. "Biden to nominate former Florida mayor to serve on U.S. safety board -official". Reuters. 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  15. "Senate Panel Approves NTSB Nominee Alvin Brown". Transport Topics. 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  16. Gibbons, Timothy J. (May 5, 2011). "Wives on the Jacksonville mayoral campaign trail: Santhea Brown". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved on May 20, 2011.
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