April 9, 2025
The first Black person elected to the Pinellas County School Board has passed away. Mary Brown, who was first elected in 2002, died on March 29, 2025. She was 89.
Mrs. Brown dedicated her career to children and families. After moving to Florida in the 1980s, she operated a daycare in St. Petersburg's Jordan Park and served as the director of Coordinated Child Care within the Juvenile Welfare Board.
In 2002, she became the first Black person elected to the Pinellas County School Board. Prior to Mrs. Brown, the School Board had two Black members who were appointed, but both were defeated at the polls. Mrs. Brown served two terms on the School Board and decided to step down in 2010 to spend more time with her family. During her service, she was known for being a passionate consensus builder.
"I always remember how well-prepared she was," said former School Board member Linda Lerner. "She would listen to others, but when she felt strongly about something - and I think I generally agreed with her - she was persistent."
Mrs. Brown was committed to service, not politics, Lerner said.
"She was a very dedicated public servant, not a politician," Linda Lerner said. "Board members listened to her even if they didn't always agree."
Former School Board member Carol Cook recalled how Mrs. Brown was focused on students districtwide.
"Even though she was elected in the St. Petersburg area, she made sure that decisions were right for children across the county," Cook said.
Cook also recalled that Mrs. Brown started the school district's Girlfriends mentorship program.
In 2010, Mrs. Brown told the Lakewood High newspaper why she decided to do so.
“I wanted to create a program that expressed education is the key to anything you desire to be in life. And I wanted to be a part of that, by assisting young ladies to become self-sufficient and highly responsible,” Mrs. Brown said.
Please see Mrs. Brown's obituary.
2002 School Board members: (Left to right) Superintendent J. Howard Hinesley, Mary Brown, Carol Cook, Jane Gallucci, Linda Lerner, Nancy Bostock, Mary Russell and Lee Benjamin.
