Mayor Byron W. Brown

Mayor Byron Brown is the 58th Mayor of Buffalo, New York. Elected Mayor in 2005 with over 60 percent of the vote, Mayor Brown came into office emphasizing greater accountability and efficiency in City Hall, progressive public policy initiatives, and a commitment to strengthening and expanding the city's economic development activities. Prior to his election as Mayor of Buffalo, Mayor Brown served for five years in the New York State Senate, the first African-American elected to the Senate outside of New York City. He also made history by becoming the first minority member of the New York State Senate to represent a majority white district. Having previously been elected to represent the Masten District on the Buffalo City Council in 1995, Mayor Brown was called "bright, creative, and hardworking," in a Buffalo News survey and was recognized in 1989 by Ebony Magazine as one the "30 Leaders of the Future."

A native of Queens, New York, Mayor Brown came to Buffalo as a college freshman, earning a dual Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Journalism from Buffalo State College. He also completed a certificate program for senior executives in state and local government at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. A past President of the Buffalo State College Alumni Association Board, Mayor Brown sits on the Board of the Boy Scout Council of Western New York.