Elizabeth Brown leaving Columbus City Council to lead YWCA Columbus

Columbus City Council President Pro Tempore Elizabeth C. Brown soon will step down from her elected position to lead YWCA Columbus as the nonprofit organization's next president and CEO.

Brown will take over the leadership role on Jan. 2 amid the impending departure of outgoing president and CEO Christie Angel, YWCA announced Thursday. Brown's hiring comes after YWCA Columbus hired BroadView Talent Partners, a national executive search firm, to begin a search in spring for the nonprofit agency's next president and CEO.

Previous coverage: YWCA Columbus president Christie Angel to step down after 5 years with nonprofit

“Liz’s diverse experience is impressive, and she is already such an engaged member of our community, advocating for women at all levels,” Janelle N. Coleman, board chair of YWCA Columbus, said in a written statement.

Brown, who lives with her husband and their three children in the University District, was born in Berwick and raised in Granville. She is a graduate of Columbia University, where she received a bachelor's degree in English.

In addition to serving on Columbus City Council for seven years, Brown is also the executive director of the Ohio Women's Public Policy Network, a statewide project focused on the economic security of women.

Brown was first elected to Columbus City Council in 2015 and now serves as president pro tempore, meaning she presides over the elected body in Council President Shannon G. Hardin's absence. City council will choose Brown's successor.

When Columbus City Council voted last December to redraw city council districts to add two members and create a total nine districts with only one member elected from each in the 2023 election, the one option they chose out of three for District 7 would potentially force Hardin, Brown and member Shayla Favor to run against each other in a race only one could win. That's because all three council members currently reside in that district, which encompasses Downtown, Franklinton, the Near East Side, the Short North and other areas south of Ohio State University.

The move to the new districting system — approved by voters in 2018 to achieve more geographic diversity — still allows the entire city to vote for candidates from each district as they do now.

Council members did not acknowledge this in their public conversation before the vote last year and Brown did not really comment on it afterwards when asked by The Dispatch beyond acknowledging she was aware.

In an interview with The Dispatch after the YWCA announcement, Brown said she plans to remain on City Council until the end of the year before formally resigning.

In her time on City Council, Brown said she has sought to advocate for policies that fight racism, serve those who are homeless and champion women. Although she said it was not an easy decision to leave the role, she said she looks forward to carrying on that work as YWCA Columbus' next leader.

"It's always hard to leave something you love, but it's also a no-brainer for me to take on this opportunity because the work I care so deeply about in my public policy work at City Council is the same work we do at the YWCA, and we get to be on the front line," Brown told The Dispatch. "While I'm leaving that part of it behind, I'm still sitting at the table trying to piece through some of our community's greatest challenges."

Hardin and other council members released a joint statement Thursday congratulating Brown and indicating that City Council would follow the process laid out in the city charter when it chooses her successor.

"Brown is a tireless advocate for Columbus families and understands that it takes many partners to serve the public effectively," according to Hardin's written statement. "While she will be missed on Council, we are excited to see what she achieves at the YWCA. Additionally, I also want to thank Christie Angel for her leadership and partnership at the YWCA for the past five years."

Angel has long ties to the organization as a former governing board member and board chair of the YWCA Columbus, where she had also spent many years as a volunteer. Angel, who has served as YWCA Columbus' CEO and president since 2017, announced in February her intent to depart from the leadership position by the end of 2022.

Angel told The Dispatch on Thursday that her decision to leave was in part motivated by a desire to see a new leader bring fresh ideas to the 136-year-old organization.

"I've always known when it's time for me to step aside and leave, so I just knew it was going to be time," Angel said.

During Angel's tenure, YWCA Columbus has raised $15 million to serve more than 8,200 people in Greater Columbus experiencing homelessness. Since 2017, YWCA Columbus Family Center has provided emergency shelter to nearly 400 families per year, and the Women's Residency program has helped more than 100 women with disabilities a year maintain supportive housing.

Elsewhere, Angel is also part of the Coalition to End Tobacco Targeting, which advocates for legislation that would ban flavored e-cigarettes and menthol products that have historically targeted the Black community.

“Christie has done tremendous work as YWCA Columbus’ leader,” Coleman said in the statement. “We are confident she’s leaving YWCA Columbus in a strong place that will only continue to flourish under Elizabeth’s leadership. The board will be forever grateful for the leadership Christie displayed during pivotal moments over the last five years."

Angel said she plans to remain with YWCA Columbus for at least part of the start of 2023 as Brown orients herself to the position. Of her successor, Angel said Brown not only has a love for the organization but a deep understanding of its mission.

"She's been a tireless advocate for the issues that we work on everyday, and she's a strong community advocate," Angel said. "She's just the right leader at the right time, and I couldn't' be more pleased."

elagatta@dispatch.com

@EricLagatta

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus City Council's Elizabeth Brown tapped to lead YWCA Columbus