The Early Years

Born Jean Andalman in Chicago, IL in 1951, Jean has been passionate about politics since her political "baptism" in 1968 when she went to college at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. (For those of you under forty, that was a time of enormous social change and political discontent. Students at Madison attended as many political rallies as they did classes.)

The issues of recent times still resonate: civil rights, women's rights, education, freedom of expression, compassion for those who have less, doing something for a cause bigger than oneself - all of these are questions we face every day of our lives. Becoming politically active during this time left Jean convinced that people can change the system, that one needs to play an active role in the world, and that beneath the skin of every cynic lies an idealist.

After her sophomore year, Jean transferred to Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, NY, where she concentrated on the performing arts and graduated with a BA in 1972. Jean seriously considered going into law, but in the end, early success in the theater tipped the scales and she moved to New York City to pursue a career in the performing arts.

Earning a Living

Jean, whose stage name was Jean Elliott, had a career that encompassed theater (Broadway, National Tours, Off-Broadway, etc.) commercials, movies, print ads as well as being the lead singer with a band (listen to her voice in Soundtrack). She was an active member of a variety of unions: Equity, SAG, AFTRA, and the Musician's Union, and was the union representative for Equity. Twelve years and hundreds of shows later, the economics of New York City in the early '80s finally convinced Jean to look for another career. Serendipitously, she was able to use many of the skills she had honed as an artist in her new endeavor - Public Relations.

By 1988, Jean had worked her way up to partner in the Madison Avenue PR firm of Braff & Company, whose clients included Country Home Magazine, Dannon Foods, the Dove Bar and General Foods. In 1990, Jean went from agency to in-house work as the Director of Public Relations for Slim-Fast Foods, where she met and married her husband, Bill Brown.

Downsized in late 1990, Jean immediately found work as the Director of PR for Lender's Bagels, where she worked until the birth of their son, Ari, in 1992. Having only become a mother at the age of 40, Jean decided to start her own firm and work from home during Ari's early years. During this time, she managed the PR department for Kraft General Foods and introduced General Foods^® International Coffees Kahlúa^® Cafe, and Swiss Miss^® Première Cocoas, nationally.

The Brown family moved to Palm Beach Gardens, FL, in late 1994, when Slim-Fast Foods moved its headquarters to West Palm Beach, where they still reside. All along, Jean has been an active political participant, working in phone banks, poll-watching, attending local Democratic club meetings, and loudly protesting the takeover of the country by the Religious Right.

Jean Comes Full Circle Back Into Politics

Recently, a friend e-mailed her about Censure and Move On, the internet group petitioning Congress to stop the impeachment process. Jean immediately signed up to be a volunteer to get the press on-hand and deliver to Foley's office a petition of district residents requesting that he vote against impeachment (in October, 1998).

As a result of having her name on the internet as a volunteer for FL District 16, The Palm Beach Post interviewed her for a story that ultimately ran January 25, 1999. From that story, Jean received call after call from people of all parties who wanted to replace Mark Foley. People all over the district were becoming politically active for the first time and they turned to Jean as a leader. Friends and strangers, both, encouraged her to run against Mark Foley. Loyal Democrats, disenchanted Republicans and frustrated Independents volunteered to donate their time and money to voting-in a government that listens to them.

Take Back District 16

For years District 16 has been in Republican hands, and Democrats have not had an opponent with sufficient funding to challenge the status quo. That is going to change. District 16 wants a new voice in Congress, and they are going to have it.