Rowena Brown

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Meet Your Councilmember

Rowena Brown, sworn in as Oakland’s At-Large City Councilmember in January 2025, is a proud  African American queer woman and lifelong East Bay resident whose life and work are rooted in resilience, community, and justice. An award-winning community organizer, former civics educator, workforce development coach, City of Oakland constituent services coordinator, and State Legislative District Director, she has dedicated her career to expanding opportunity, advancing equity, and uplifting LGBTQ+ communities. She holds degrees from Laney College, Mills College, and the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

After losing both of her parents by the age of 17, Rowena transformed personal hardship into a lifelong commitment to public service. Her leadership is guided by the belief that every Oaklander deserves access to quality healthcare, public safety, affordable housing, and economic opportunity. She has championed policies that advance environmental justice, education equity, and inclusive economic growth.

As a Councilmember, Rowena is redefining civic leadership in Oakland by centering community voices, bridging government with grassroots movements, and advancing bold policies that move beyond crisis response toward long-term resilience and justice. In her first year, she served as Council Budget Chair, leading a balanced budget that positioned the City to issue critical bonds to improve roads, expand housing, and strengthen essential infrastructure. As Chair of the Community & Economic Development Committee, she helped launch Entertainment and AI Activation Zones to revitalize downtown corridors and support local businesses.

Through her leadership, Rowena is working to transform systems that have long excluded and underestimated Oaklanders—ensuring that equity is not just an aspiration, but the standard.

Councilmember Brown is on the following Council Committees:

See a calendar of upcoming meetings.

Participate in City Council Meetings

We encourage your participation in all City Council and Committee meetings!

View our 1-pager guide on how to make a public comment. Participate in person at City Hall (on the 3rd floor of 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza) or via Zoom. Please note that all Zoom speakers must be registered to speak 24 hours before the beginning of the meeting.

View the City Council meeting schedule online.

Feel free to reach out to our team if you need support making public comment. All Oaklanders deserve their voice to be heard.

Guide to Public Comment

Past Newsletters

All prior newsletters sent by Councilmember Brown can be viewed below.

Staff

Chiamaka Ogwuegbu, Director of Policy

• Email: cogwuegbu@oaklandca.gov
• Phone: (510) 238-7082

Sedrick Alcantara, Community Liaison and Aid

• Email: salcantara@oaklandca.gov
• Phone: (510) 238-7083

Belen Darris, Legislative Aide and Scheduler

• Email: BDarris@oaklandca.gov
• Phone: (510) 238-7081