Jeanne Brown Mayoral Aide, Town of Chapel Hill
After years of being involved in school and neighborhood issues, including the Chapel Hill 2020 process, Jeanne was invited to a discussion with then-mayoral candidate Pam Hemminger. The two hit it off, and Jeanne became one of Pam’s campaign managers. When Pam was elected in 2015, she made Jeanne her mayoral aide. Jeanne is married to Dr. Monte Brown, associate dean of veteran affairs at Duke University Health System, and has two children: Collin, a freshman at Duke, and Derek, a 2018 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
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F YOU’VE EVER CALLED TOWN HALL
with a concern, you may have talked to Jeanne. As Mayor Pam Hemminger’s aide, part of her multifaceted job is handling phone calls and emails from constituents. “We take it very seriously, every call that comes in, no matter how big or how little.” Jeanne, a self-described “process person,” put in place a tracking system that makes sure each resident gets a response from the appropriate staff member. She also drafts resolutions, writes announcements and preps the mayor for town council meetings. She helped establish a third-grade field trip program that brings Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools students studying government to Town Hall for a day of hands-on learning and a mock council meeting with the mayor. “They come to the mic and they ask great questions and voice their opinions,” she says. Jeanne has become Town Hall’s de facto advocate for people with disabilities. Before moving to Chapel Hill in 2005, she lost 70 percent of her vision due to an unexplained medical issue. While it doesn’t stop her from getting her job done, it has made her sensitive to the needs of people who are differently abled. She worked with the town’s human resources department to make documents available in larger fonts and create a policy for employees who can’t drive but need to leave the office for work purposes. She also advocated for seniors and people with disabilities during discussions about changing the curbside trash and recycling program. For Jeanne, it all comes back to serving residents. “It’s just really an amazing job. You’re in this position where you get to help celebrate community successes, but also when people have problems you can connect them with resources and get them the help they need.” –Holly West May/June 2018 chapelhillmagazine.com
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