Mr. Brown served for over 30 years in the California State Assembly, including 15 years as its Speaker, before becoming the 41st Mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to hold the position. He served as mayor from January 8, 1996, to January 8, 2004. His administration was notable for a major surge in real estate development, public works, urban beautification, and large-scale city projects. He led the city through the “dot-com” boom, a period of rapid economic growth in San Francisco.
After leaving office, Mr. Brown founded The Willie L. Brown, Jr. Institute on Politics & Public Service, an independent nonprofit at San Francisco State University dedicated to preparing students for careers in local and regional government. The institute is among the first in the nation to focus specifically on local governance.
In recognition of his public service, the western span of the Bay Bridge was officially named in his honor in September 2013. In 2015, he joined the board of directors of Global Blood Therapeutics, a San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company. Mr. Brown holds a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and a law degree from the University of California, Hastings.