(Washington, D.C.) – The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) has submitted a letter to President Biden and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in support of swift confirmation of former Jacksonville, Florida Mayor Alvin Brown to serve as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
President Biden announced Mr. Brown’s nomination on August 3, 2022, and sent the nomination to the Senate on January 23, 2023. AAMA commends and supports President Biden’s nomination of this highly qualified and visionary leader who has been a tireless champion for cities, working for decades to build new opportunities and meet urgent needs in the public, private and not for profit sectors.
Brown served as the first Democrat elected and first Black Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 2011-2015. Under his leadership, Jacksonville became one of America’s leading cities for innovation and improving quality of life and Mayor Brown was instrumental in achieving a broad range of policy and governing successes. Brown previously served in the Clinton administration as Vice President Al Gore’s Senior Advisor for Urban Policy, and Vice Chair of the White House Community Empowerment Board, where he led the $4 billion community empowerment initiatives, including the Empowerment Zone / Enterprise Community Programs that revitalized impoverished urban and rural communities and generated unprecedented levels of public-private partnerships. Currently, he is a Senior Advisor at Gray Global Advisors, where he connects businesses and nonprofit organizations to best practices in engaging mayors and cities for economic development opportunities.
“President Biden has nominated an exceptional and passionate leader with an unparalleled breadth of experience in the public and private sector,” said Little Rock, Arkansas Mayor and AAMA President Frank Scott, Jr. “His expertise as a strategic adviser on a wide range of domestic issues, including transportation, community revitalization and new business development will serve him well as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.”
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The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) is the only organization dedicated to representing over 500 African American mayors across the United States. AAMA seeks to empower local leaders for the benefit of their citizens. The role of the AAMA includes taking positions on public policies that impact the vitality and sustainability of cities; providing mayors with leadership and management tools; and creating a forum for member mayors to share best practices related to municipal management.