FEATURED SPEAKER

Mayor Aja Brown

Compton, CA USA

On June 4, 2013, Aja Brown made history as the City of Compton’s youngest elected Mayor at the age of 31. As a newcomer to politics, Mayor Brown defeated a crowded, 12 mayoral-candidate election with her agenda entitled “New Vision for Compton,” organized around 12 key principles; focusing on family, quality of life, economic and infrastructure development. With over 10 years of experience in community and economic development, Mayor Aja Brown has proven to be a strategic visionary concentrated on improving outcomes through policy reform, innovation and strategic partnerships, proudly serving the citizens of Compton.

Since induction, Mayor Brown has made major strides in improving the quality of life for Compton residents and stakeholders alike. Mayor Brown has launched several community initiatives including the “Compton Community Policing Task Force,” a network of law enforcement agencies and community activist that implement gang intervention and prevention strategies, tackling complex social issues such as human trafficking head on. Over the year, Mayor Brown has built partnerships with several of the surrounding colleges and Universities including the University of Southern California to strategizing on how to create industry-specific employment training programs and decreasing the City’s unemployment rate.

In addition to implementing several community initiatives, Mayor Brown has been very active in creating policy that improves access to employment such as the First Source Hiring Agreement, which was adopted in October 2013. In partnership with the City Attorney, Mayor Brown was instrumental in the elimination of hourly motel rentals throughout the City and has revoked the operating licensees of businesses that incubate human trafficking and other illicit activity.

Mayor Brown has received the prestigious University of Southern California 2014 Young Alumni Merit Award, participated as the 2013 Pat Brown Institute Distinguished Lecturer, is the recipient of the National Action Network Martin Luther King Award and is a strong advocate for youth, women’s rights and equality.

Brown holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy, Urban Planning and Development and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning with a concentration in Economic Development from the University of Southern California (2005). Mayor Brown is married to her best friend of 14 years, Van Brown, a Petrochemical Safety Manager.