D.C. Councilmembers

Chairman

Chairman Kwame R. Brown

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An innovative leader and native Washingtonian working tirelessly to improve the lives of District residents.

Term: Jan. 2, 2011 - Jan. 2, 2015

Political Affiliation: Democratic Party

Office: 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 504, NW Washington, DC 20004

Tel: (202) 724-8032 | Fax: (202) 724-8085

Chair of: Committee of the Whole

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Committee of the Whole

Biography

Chairman Kwame R. Brown is an innovative leader and native Washingtonian who has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of District residents; making education, job creation, and economic development the cornerstones of his lifelong service to the community. Sworn into office in January 2011, he is the seventh Chairman to lead the Council of the District of Columbia.

In the first 100 days of his term, Chairman Brown shepherded an unprecedented transformation of the Council,  holding more than 100 performance oversight hearings and jump-starting several new initiatives aimed at furthering education reform, increasing fiscal responsibility, creating more jobs, planning new strategies for oversight and effective government, and improving communications with the public.

As an At-Large Councilmember from 2005-2010, Chairman Brown solidified his presence in District government by co-sponsoring more than 170 pieces of legislation.  He also has worked hard to protect D.C.’s communities by increasing the police force, revitalizing neighborhoods, strengthening environmental laws, and providing more resources to the victims of domestic violence.   His work on the Council lead to a landslide victory in his bid for Chairman in 2010, winning nearly 90 percent of the vote.

A true testament to his leadership and his firm belief that quality education is a right rather than a privilege, the restoration of Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering Public High School took place under his leadership.

Chairman Brown also is a past Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. In that role, he presided over a groundbreaking report detailing the steps needed to get residents back to work across the region. He also spearheaded, along with the Greater Washington Board of Trade, recommendations for restructuring the governance of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, Chairman Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Morgan State, and has completed the Senior Executives in Government Program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Business Executive program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

He and his wife of 17 years, Marcia, are the proud parents of two children, Lauren and Kwame II, who attend DC Public Schools.

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