WHO AM I
Dear Residents of Lansing,
100 YEARS OF LANSING HERITAGE
I AM a product of 100 years of Lansing heritage and three generations of public service.
I AM the grandson of Lansing’s Mother of the Year in 1953, Georgia Brown, the first Black female student to attend Lansing Eastern High School—so esteemed that the Lansing School District named their Board Room in her honor.
I AM the grandson of Robert Brown Sr., a 1968 City of Lansing retiree who dedicated his life to beautifying the city’s parks.
I AM the nephew of Robert “Bob” Brown Jr., Lansing’s longest-serving Fire Commissioner with 32 years of service, and the first Black State Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC); Duane “Mike” Brown, a former Local 352 member and the first Black foreman at the Board of Water and Light (BWL); and Lansing’s legendary “Ambassador of Celebration,” Luther “Billy” Brown—affectionately known as Mr. Party.
I AM the youngest child of Richard “Gaylord” Brown, a Sexton graduate who joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Vietnam War after working the assembly line at Oldsmobile. My mother, Joy Pappas, was a proud UAW member and State of Michigan employee.
A SON OF LANSING
I AM a son of Lansing. Born at St. Lawrence Hospital and a graduate of Lansing Eastern High School.
Service has always surrounded me. As a teenager, I was involved in Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) and Eastern Prevention (EAST P), advocating against tobacco use and creating educational skits promoting drug prevention among Lansing youth.
I learned how to win and lose through academics and athletics—participating in school district field days, Math-O-Rama competitions, parks and recreation programs like Foster Flyers floor hockey, YMCA biddy basketball, and evening karate classes at Otto Middle School. I was also a regional champion on the Lansing Eastern Academic Decathlon team.
Go Quakers!
I was inspired by the opportunity to earn school credit through vocational education—what we called “vo-tech.” I graduated from Eastern and Cisco’s International Networking Academy simultaneously. Later in life, I earned my Doctorate in Ministry (D.Min.) in Christian Leadership from Kingdom University International.
That early co-op experience gave me the confidence to pursue a life and career rooted in purpose.
By 20, I was promoted to Account Manager at Protocol Integrated Direct Marketing, managing national projects for recognizable infomercials. If you’re from Lansing, you or someone you know has worked at Protocol.
That experience confirmed what Mrs. Brockman noted on my second-grade report card at Fairview Elementary: I loved to talk. But I realized I wanted those conversations to be purpose-filled, and my actions to be impactful.
Since the age of 21—now for two decades—I have been an advocate who serves, creates, and leads initiatives to help people and families. I’ve been a contract service provider for multiple government departments, including:
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services - Adult Services (MDHHS)
Michigan Youth Opportunity Initiative (MYOI)
Community Mental Health – Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties (CMH-CEI)
Tri-County Office on Aging (TCOA)
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)
Social Security Administration Employment Network (SSA-EN)
I’ve supported people of all backgrounds and abilities—teaching job readiness, advocating for healthcare access, assisting with college enrollment, launching businesses, and providing elder care to the final hours.
Service is not what I do. It’s who I AM.
I have been appointed by the Mayor of Lansing as Vice Chair of the Human Relations and Community Services Advisory Board and by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners to the Community Health Center Board of Directors. I’m a past Chair of Uplift Our Youth Foundation (founded by Larry Leatherwood). I was a board member of Disability Network Capital Area. I was an Institutional Advisory Member for Career Quest Learning Centers. And now, I serve you as an At-Large Member of Lansing City Council.
I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO SERVES
As your Council Member At-Large, I have faithfully listened, learned, and voted with care. My voting record is public.
I’ve served on nearly every standing committee, including:
Committee of the Whole
Development & Planning
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Public Safety
Ways and Means
City Operations
I’ve contributed to ad hoc committees like Housing & Resident Safety and Homelessness & Solutions, and represented the Council on external boards, including:
Capital Area Michigan Works (CAMW)
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TRPC)
Tri-County Office on Aging (as a temporary fill-in for a Council colleague)
I maintain a 95% attendance record for voting meetings—please refer to official meeting minutes for accuracy—and I attend neighborhood and community meetings across every side of town, addressing resident concerns one by one.
I AM A SERVANT LEADER WHO KNOWS ADVERSITY
I’ve faced many adversities, yet I serve with compassion and resolve.
I took care of my mother during her battle with stage 4 cancer until her death, then buried my grandmother six months later at 100 years old. I would do it again—but the sacrifice came at a cost.
I endured the hardship of bankruptcy. I’ve struggled financially, waiting on contract payments while still helping others. I’ve faced health challenges, and the pandemic halted everything again. Yet, I did not stop serving.
I’ve lost vehicles. Downsized. Been threatened and called a criminal simply for refusing to compromise my integrity. Still—I serve.
I’ve arranged payment plans with creditors, only to have garnishment requests used to try to discredit me. Still—I serve.
I’ve been falsely accused of ethics violations, smeared in newspapers, and targeted by those unhappy with my votes. Still—I serve.
While walking door to door across Lansing to earn votes, my car was previously repossessed—but I kept walking. I couldn’t afford healthcare, but I kept serving. I lost my home, received a 7-day notice to vacate, and became homeless while serving as your Council Member. Still—I served.
I AM A PRODUCT MADE IN LANSING.
This journey has led me to today.
I am announcing my candidacy for Mayor of Lansing—not out of ambition, but from prayer, passion, and unwavering love for this city.
Let me be clear: I am not running against another candidate. I AM running to be your next Mayor of Lansing as the same Jeffrey—born, raised, forgiven, and tested by this city. I’ve walked through the same storms you or your family have faced. I am authentic. I am hard-working. I am compassionate. And that, I can promise you.
MY VISION: UPLIFT LANSING
One Community. One Mission.
Uplift Lansing is a vision to inspire investment, build community awareness, and unite residents and organizations behind one mission: to uplift our city.
VISION: A community without limits, full of opportunity for everyone who calls Lansing home.
MISSION: To selflessly inspire a thriving community—one that uplifts good works, lends a hand to those in need, and celebrates those making a difference.
We must celebrate our wins—large and small. We must speak life into this city. We must resist narratives that aim to divide or shame us. We must unite.
We need vision, strategy, collaboration, truth, passion, and relentlessness to take Lansing back! Back to when we felt safe again—where we knew we had a future, even if we weren’t yet sure of our path. Back to when we celebrated our uniqueness, embraced new families and cultures, and patronized new businesses to ensure they had a fighting chance.
I love you all, and I am so grateful that you would give me the opportunity to share WHO I AM.
I AM JEFFREY BROWN.
But you can call me David, because I am willing to fight for Lansing—no matter what Goliath we face. I have proven that with MY slingshot, which is the courage to never give up, we can Uplift Lansing together!
Thank you.
