Chair Beth Grossman nominates Lynette Brown-Sow to lead PPA Board

 

(PHILADELPHIA) – The Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Parking Authority today elected Lynette M. Brown-Sow as its new Chair of the Board. The vote for Brown-Sow was unanimous and followed outgoing Chair Beth Grossman’s nominating Brown-Sow to lead the public agency.

In nominating Brown-Sow, Grossman said, “Having served as Chair of the Authority for the past 18 months, we have worked diligently and rounded a corner where we can now begin to make significant and positive changes at the PPA.  With Rich Lazer as our new Executive Director, I want to allow new leadership to emerge and take the helm of the PPA Board as we continue moving forward. That’s why I want to nominate Lynette Brown-Sow as Chair of the Board.”

Grossman urged all PPA Board members to join her in supporting Brown-Sow to be the new Board Chair.  “Lynette is a known innovator and recognized community leader with a well-deserved reputation for hard work. I’ve worked closely with her during our time together, and she is passionate and committed to overseeing and improving the PPA. Lynette is a powerhouse of energy and ideas – and I am confident with the Board’s help and support, she will continue to move the Authority forward in new and positive ways,” Grossman said.

Lynette M. Brown-Sow is a highly respected and well-known public policy advocate and strategic management consultant. She was nominated to the PPA post by then-Republican Senate President pro tempore Joseph Scarnati and subsequently appointed by former Gov. Tom Wolf in June of 2020. She has served as the PPA Board Assistant Secretary and Vice Chairwoman since first being appointed.  Currently, she serves as President of L. M. Brown Management Group LLC, specializing in governance, crisis communication strategies, and community building.   A former Vice President of Marketing and Government Relations at Community College of Philadelphia for over twenty years, Brown-Sow has also served as Chair of the Philadelphia Housing Authority since 2013.

Brown-Sow has held numerous government positions over her long career in public service, including Deputy Mayor for former Mayor Rendell. Until last year she served as Chair of the boards of YAP (Youth Advocates Program) Inc., a global juvenile justice organization. She presently serves on the board of the Philadelphia Tribune Co. Inc; Crisis Management Group Companies; NHS Enterprises, Inc.; and Vice President of The Board of Directors of City Trusts, serving as Chair of Girard College via her committee assignment. 

She is one of the conveners of the Forum for a Better Pennsylvania. She served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of The Consortium, a behavioral healthcare organization that named its service center the Lynette M. Brown Center of Hope in recognition of her years of service; founded and chairs the Hardy Williams Education Fund, providing scholarships and support in law and social justice; and is a founder and Chair of Women of Destiny, developing pipelines of talent to the corporate and non-profit sectors by providing mentorship to professional women of color. 

In addition to being a former Deputy Mayor, she managed the Rendell transition team and co-chaired Mayor Nutter’s 2007 transition team. She also served as a member of Governor Josh Shapiro’s Transition Team. She served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment for 3 years during a city-wide code change and is Vice President of the Municipal Authority. 

After being unanimously elected Chair, Brown-Sow said, “I want to thank the Board for its unanimous support. I look forward to working with the whole board as we continue to build on the progress and reform of the last two years. Beth must be thanked for her strong and steady leadership. She was the bridge that helped guide a virtually new board through a period of reform and change. We also now have a new Executive Director, Rich Lazer.”

“We are grateful for Beth’s determined leadership and dedication, and I look forward to continuing to work with her and all of our Board as we continue to focus on public safety, customer service, and helping to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” she said.