The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on June 21 to consider the nomination of Alvin Brown to join the National Transportation Safety Board as a member. President Joe Biden originally nominated Brown to the post last year but the Senate failed to act on it. Brown, the first African-American to be elected mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, was renominated to the post earlier this year to fill a vacancy left by former chairman Robert Sumwalt.
If confirmed, Brown would fill the final opening on the board that also includes chair Jennifer Homendy, vice chair Bruce Landsberg, and members Michael Graham and Tom Chapman. The latter three came to the board with considerable aviation experience, including in business and general aviation, while Homendy brought a deep knowledge of rail and transportation through her service as senior staff on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Brown has a lengthy resume in urban and community affairs, including with the White House leadership team under former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. He formerly served as senior advisor for urban policy and vice chair of the White House Community Empowerment Board, leading $4 billion in community empowerment initiatives. He further has served as a senior advisor to the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, executive director of the Bush/Clinton Katrina Interfaith Fund, and executive in residence at Jacksonville University’s Davis School of Business.