"In the summer of 2004, Kevin Lynch had just been re-elected to the City Council and was slated to become mayor. Yet instead of assuming the coveted position, he deferred to David Brown, Lynch’s running mate on the Democratic ticket.

It was the first time in nearly two decades that a councilor was chosen as mayor on his or her first day of office. The honor illustrated the trust Brown’s new colleagues placed in him and underscored his reputation as a consensus builder.

Brown "has a broad understanding of what all the different constituencies in the city want and has a real skill of being able to bring us all together and get us working in the same direction," Lynch said.

In his four years on the council, Brown has become well known for his genial demeanor and organizational prowess, as well as for his advocacy of youth and environmental causes.

"I feel like being mayor is not just about running a meeting but about helping people with different points of view work together to come to a good conclusion," Brown said, sitting in his chiropractic office on Preston Avenue.

There was little doubt that Brown would seek a second term. While Lynch and fellow Councilor Kendra Hamilton vacillated over whether to run again before ultimately bowing out of the race, Brown seemed to relish the job too much to step aside.

Now he is working to convince voters that he deserves another four years, touting his record of service and promising to continue working to address the city’s transportation and affordable housing problems, among others.

A University of Virginia graduate, Brown returned to Charlottesville with his wife, Jean Hiatt, in 1982 after receiving his chiropractic degree in Oregon. His involvement in the local nuclear-freeze campaign spurred him to become active in the city’s Democratic Party, eventually assuming the role of chairman in the early 1990s.

Brown joined several community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Offender Aid and Restoration, but much of his free time was spent with the Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albemarle. He served as a soccer coach for his sons’ team and an outreach coordinator for the program, organizing teams of students living in the city’s public housing complexes.

Spending countless hours with children and families struggling with poverty convinced Brown that not all segments of Charlottesville’s population were being fully represented in city government.

"At the time, I felt there was a little bit of a disconnect between the council and these communities," Brown said.

On the council, Brown has been a strong supporter of educational initiatives, helping start a summer jobs program for at-risk students and calling for better work force training for high school students. He has also been an advocate of creating new historic districts and making the city more pedestrian friendly.

In candidate forums Brown has said Charlottesville needs to become a more sustainable community and has said the government should serve as a model for residents by promoting energy-efficient buildings.

He said he is also committed to improving relations with Albemarle County and UVa officials, especially in the realm of transportation.

"Relations are on an upswing," Brown said. "To continue to be successful, we need to identify areas where we can work together and sit down and see where we get."" (Seth Rosen, The Daily Progress, May 27, 2007)