Marilyn Brown

Marilyn Brown began her service as County Commissioner in January 2007, and was elected to a second term that began in January 2011. Prior to elected office, Marilyn had compiled extensive experience in public service in two major areas - economic development and social justice.

In the area of business, Marilyn honed her leadership and management skills through leading the Pickerington Chamber of Commerce and serving as the Public Affairs Director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). On issues of human rights and equality, she carried her family's long tradition of Tikkun Olam, or Repairing The World, with her as she fought on behalf of women's rights, fair elections, diversity and inclusion for all people, and open and accessible access to education, housing, and government.

Immediately upon being elected Commissioner, Marilyn set to work on those same two fronts, realizing that economic development, good jobs, and workforce readiness, coupled with a strong safety net, a solid foundation for our youth, and a high quality of life for all residents were the cornerstones on which the County was built, and on which it would continue to grow.

Marilyn was elected by her peers to serve as Commission President in 2008 and 2011, during which time the County broke ground on its award-winning baseball stadium, Huntington Park, and its new courthouse as well as took beginning steps towards building a new animal care center. These three construction projects not only created hundreds of jobs, but have all been cited nationally as examples of top-notch management, design, construction, accessibility, fiscal stewardship, and economic development. She has the focus and knowledge to work with each of the Commissioner agencies as well as the county's partners in the community to fill in gaps in service and to ensure that everyone was able to do more with ever-shrinking resources.

Marilyn has worked closely with the County's Department of Economic Development, County and Township planning boards, and business organizations such as chambers of commerce, the Downtown Development Corporation, MORPC, and others to create new jobs and retain existing jobs here in Franklin County. Marilyn supports initiatives such as developing business around the Intermodal at Rickenbacker, investing in new technologies at the TechColumbus incubators, providing microloans to entrepreneurs, and finding innovative energy solutions at SWACO. She is the incoming Board Chair at MORPC, and serves on the Boards of Columbus 2020 and the US Global Leadership Coalition.

Marilyn is also fully committed to the quality, and equality, of life for all Franklin County residents. She recognizes the importance of the arts to our community as not only an enriching experience but as an economic engine. Marilyn has been closely involved with the Cultural Arts Commission, having been appointed to its board in 2007, the Greater Columbus Arts Commission, and in 2011, Marilyn was voted into a three-year term as a CAPA board member.

She is a vocal advocate for social justice and progressive issues, serving on the Board of Directors of the Center for Family Safety & Healing as a leader against violence in all its forms. Additionally, Marilyn is active as a leader in the movements for GLBT and marriage equality, for women's reproductive and educational freedoms, for the reintegration into society's fabric for ex-offenders, for an ongoing commitment to the care, safety, and education of our County's youngest residents, and for green and open spaces, community gardens, and fresh nutritious food for every resident.

Marilyn holds a masters' degree in organizational development from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. She and her husband, former Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Eric Brown, have two daughters - Beryl and her husband Andrew; and Daryn. The Browns have three grandsons, Vincent, Max and Alex. She and Eric are members of Congregation Tifereth Israel.