George Brown Awards Recognize Three Local Leaders

Three leaders, who have carried on the legacy of George Brows, were recently recognized in Grand Terrace‬. These individuals demonstrate leadership through community and public service in the public interest. “George Brown was a strong and steady voice in Congress across four decades, starting in 1962. He represented four different districts from the San Gabriel Valley to the Inland Empire. He stood up continually for California values and the American dream,” said his wife Marta Brown. The first honoree, Melba Dunlap, is a former Riverside County Supervisor who in three terms in office changed the face and voice of local governance. Dunlap represented District 2 which is home to both the Stringfellow Acid Pits and the community of Mira Loma with one of the highest concentrations of particulate matter in the country. Dunlap also served on the South Coast Air Quality Management District from 1983 to 1984. She was Chair of the Riverside County Transportation Commission and was instrumental in bringing commuter rail and improved public transit service to Riverside County. The second honoree this year that carries on George Brown’s Legacy is Dianne Landeros. A board member of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, she is a longtime leader for women's rights, climate protection, and criminal justice reform, in Redlands and the Inland Region. The third honoree this year for leadership in carrying on Brown's legacy of community and public service in the public interest is John Longville‬. Now board president of San Bernardino Community College District, Longville is a former Assemblymember, Rialto mayor, and George Brown aide. In 2010, the family of Congressman George Brown generously donated his personal papers and archives to the University of California, Riverside. “This significant gift, consisting of more than 525 boxes and nine file cabinets, provides a rich and in-depth view of the contributions of the Congressman as an environmental champion and advocate of alternative energy, human rights, and education during a pivotal time,” said Hans Johnson, project director. The mission of the George Brown Legacy Project is to ensure the preservation and accessibility of George Brown's extensive archives at the University of California, Riverside for future generations of scholars, reporters, and leaders in science, labor, business, and public service. “Few elected officials have left as deep and sustained a positive impact on science, public policy, and economic development as the late Congressman George E. Brown Jr. Even those who didn't know him have felt their lives touched by his legacy of service, leadership, innovation, and opportunity,” said Johnson. The George Brown archives hold clues to key advances of today and major innovations of tomorrow. They also hold a blueprint for bipartisan problem-solving over four decades in federal decision-making. With your help, this unique trove of knowledge will be accessible to current and future entrepreneurs and students of effective public service. For more information call Hans Johnson at (323)-669-9999, e-mail hansj@progressivevictory.com or go to http://library.ucr.edu/view/georgebrown/