Meet Kimberly Brown
Kimberly Brown's story is deeply rooted in the values of hard work, community, and resilience.
Born to a working-class family, Kimberly's early years were shaped by her parents' unwavering commitment to providing a good education for their children.
Her parents worked multiple jobs to give her and her siblings a good education that included extracurricular activities within walking distance from home.
She knows the doors that opened for her because of their focus on education, and she wants that for every Chicagoan.
Kimberly has the executive level skills to govern CPS (a $9 billion organization), the values to ensure we build a sustainable organization for every child to succeed, the empathy as a CPS parent and educator, and the just-crazy-enough passion to do it as a volunteer.
Kimberly is a Chief Marketing Officer with a background working in highly regulated industries, including government, education, and financial services/insurance. She has sat on multiple nonprofit boards and has experience in nonprofit board governance. She is an adjunct professor and currently on faculty at Roosevelt University and Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
She is an entrepreneur who ran her own for-profit consultancy focused on data and marketing as well as two education-related non-profits benefiting teen youth and women in technology, respectively.
She is mother of two children. One is in CPS. The other is in private school.
Kimberly received her Bachelor and Master of Science from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism and had the honor to work as a journalist in Chicago and New York before moving into digital marketing.
Kimberly’s life in Chicago is rich with familial history and community ties. Kimberly is a descendant of Benny Cannata, an Italian immigrant who volunteered as Precinct Captain and became a sanitation supervisor in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. Her great uncle, Bernie Cannata, a notable figure in City Hall and a renowned speed skater, along with her uncle Daniel, a retired lawyer for the American Dental Association who worked hand-in-hand with policymakers. She is the descendant of how public service can improve lives for many and have further deepened her connection to the city's vibrant history and public service.
Kimberly's personal journey is a blend of diverse roles – a Chicago Public School parent and a private school parent, experiencing firsthand the challenges and rewards of both educational systems. Her story is also one of personal sacrifice and determination, working multiple jobs to afford quality childcare for her children until they all of age for CPS.
The military and public service are ingrained in her family's legacy. Her husband is a two-tour Army officer veteran of Iraq, her father a Vietnam combat veteran, and her father-in-law a special forces veteran. Her grandfather served in the Navy during WWII. This background has instilled in her a profound respect for service and sacrifice. Additionally, her family's involvement in education, with a cousin as a CPS teacher, her mother as a suburban high school teacher and her aunt as a youth speech pathologist (working a lot in CPS schools), has given her a unique perspective on educational systems and teacher unions.
Kimberly is an active academic with expertise in Human-Centered Marketing Strategy and Change Management - a reflection of her diverse experiences and deep understanding of business and human dynamics.
Kimberly Brown's life is a mosaic of experiences that have shaped her into a strong advocate for education, small business support, and community empowerment. Her roots in Chicago, combined with her personal and professional journey, fuel her dedication to creating opportunities and fostering growth in her community.