Friday, May 7, 2004

Brown to chair mayors’ group By J. FRANK LYNCH jflynch@theCitizenNews.com Peachtree City’s mayor, seemingly at the center of one local controversy after another since taking office in January 2002, admits he’s not the most popular guy with some of Fayette’s other city and county leadership. That’s not the case with mayors from many of the surrounding communities in metro Atlanta, said Brown, who was elected chairman of the Metropolitan Atlanta Mayors Association for the coming year in a meeting Tuesday. “It’s quite an honor to get elected to the top mayor’s spot in Metro Atlanta and it’s just your first term in office,” Brown declared. Brown was a founding member of MAMA in 2002 and served as the association’s first vice chairman in 2003. MAMA membership includes 64 mayors from the 10 counties that make up the area served by the Atlanta Regional Commission. According to Brown, the group was established to raise the awareness of metro cities, develop policies and promote legislation that aids municipalities. Brown said the organization’s Executive Board unanimously nominated him for the chairman’s seat, received a unanimous nomination from MAMA’s Executive Board for the chairman’s position. Known for his tenacious sense of determination and strong work ethic, Brown has rapidly climbed the ranks in only his first term in elected office. In 2002, the editors of Georgia Trend magazine chose Brown as one of the “40 under 40, Georgia’s Rising Stars.” Earlier in the year, Brown played a vital role in lobbying the state legislature towards passing several critical pieces of legislation on behalf of MAMA. “I am passionate about public service and I dont mind taking on the special interest groups and my colleagues have recognized this trait in me,” stated Brown. “It is an honor to receive this type of recognition from my peers.” Brown plans on continuing MAMA’s focus on building relationships with state-elected officials and promoting quality legislation for those residing in metro cities. He also wants to develop a depository for best management practices so that metro cities can learn from one another. In addition to the election of officers, MAMA also had a joint meeting with the Regional Leadership Forum and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s Quality Growth Task Force. The three organizations had a discussion on Metro Atlanta’s current and future land use and transportation problems.

Back to News Home Page