Rockford officials rejected singer for entertainment board once. Will they do it again?

Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star
·2 min read

Hoping that Rockford City Council will see it made a mistake last time, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara has once again appointed singer, songwriter and real estate broker Nastasia "Staci" Brown to fill a vacancy on the RAVE Authority Board.

Based on information it was provided, City Council rejected Brown in August with some aldermen saying they did not realize Brown was a singer and had experience in the entertainment industry. McNamara said the Rockford Area Venues & Entertainment Authority Board would be "lucky to have her."

A resume they were provided focused on her professional background as a Rockford realtor, owner of the Harmony Home Group and social equity director for Keller Williams Signature Realty in Loves Park. But it did not delve into her experience in the entertainment industry.

McNamara took the blame for the previous vote, saying it was his fault for not making sure aldermen had all of the information they needed about her background.

"They were unaware of her tremendous breadth of experience when it comes to the entertainment industry," McNamara said. "I take that on myself, not on Staci. I should have made sure aldermen and women had all the the information about the breadth of her experience — that’s on me."

Nastasia "Staci" Brown is a singer, song writer, event planner and Rockford area real estate broker with Keller Williams Signature Realty.
Nastasia "Staci" Brown is a singer, song writer, event planner and Rockford area real estate broker with Keller Williams Signature Realty.

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The RAVE Authority Board is the body that oversees the BMO Harris Bank Center, the Coronado Performing Arts Center and Davis Park.

Brown is a singer, songwriter and entrepreneur who has recorded singles including the gospel song "Healer" in 2020, has performed at the Soar Awards and has regional and national contacts in the entertainment industry. Brown is described on her Keller Williams biography as "a champion of minority homeownership in the Stateline area."

A vote to suspend a rule requiring a 30-day wait period on appointments failed on Tuesday. Suspending the rule to vote on the appointment immediately would have required approval of 10 aldermen, a super majority of City Council.

However, with one alderman absent, four aldermen opposed the measure including Jonathan Logemann, D-2, Chad Tuneberg, R-3, Frank Beach, R-10, and Mark Bonne, D-14.

Jeff Kolkey can be reached at  (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford Mayor: RAVE Authority would be 'lucky' to have singer