Lisa Brown (University chancellor)

Lisa J. Brown is a currently the Chancellor of Washington State University Spokane. She was previously a Washington legislator. A Democrat, she represented the Spokane-based 3rd district from 1993 to 2013.

After serving two terms in the House, Brown was appointed to serve as chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee in her first term. In 2002, she was elected by her colleagues as the leader of the Democratic Caucus. In 2005, she became the first woman Democratic Senate Majority Leader in state history.

Some of her legislative accomplishments as Senate Majority Leader include championing legislation to establish a life sciences discovery fund, to insure all kids with health care by 2010, to cover mental illnesses in health insurance plans at parity with physical illnesses, establish a nonprofit foundation to assist uninsured people with low incomes obtain free or low-cost prescription drugs, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, to create domestic partnerships for same-sex couples, to allow school levies to pass with a simple majority rather than supermajority vote, to provide a sales tax credit for working Washington families, to create a Rainy Day Fund in the state budget and to grow medical education at Washington State University Spokane.

Brown left the Washington Senate in January 2013 and soon became the Chancellor of Washington State University Spokane, where she remains today. Brown oversees a downtown campus that is highly connected to the city’s medical district and central to Spokane's urban growth and sustainability.

Since 2005, Brown has received a number of awards:

Justice Hero 2013, Center for Justice (2013); Woman of the Year, Washington State University (2013); Advocate of the Year in Public Policy, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital (2013); Special Recognition Award, Spokane Guilds’ School and Neuromuscular Center (2012); Inaugural Award for Ethical Leadership, Faith Action Network (2012); State of Washington Equality Award, LGBTQA Centers At UW, WSU, and EWU (2012);Lifetime; Achievement Award, Early Learning Action Alliance (2012); Passing the Torch Honoree, National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington (2012); Making Spokane Better Award, Salvation Army of Spokane (2012); Legislator Recognition Award, Voices for Opportunity, Income, Childcare, Education and Support (2011); Legislator of the Year, Washington Student Association (2011); Champion for Children, Children’s Alliance (2010); Gold Crayon Award, Early Learning Action Alliance (2010); Maternal & Child Health Award, March of Dimes (2008); Social Justice Award, SEIU 775 (2008); Louise Miller Arts Advocacy Award, Washington State Arts Alliance (2008); Bob Olsen Memorial Conservation Eagle Award, Northwest Energy Coalition (2007); Cynthia Gillespie Award, Northwest Women’s Law Center (2006); Champion of Youth, Chase Youth Commission (2006); Outstanding Legislator, Children’s Alliance (2006); Legislator of the Year, Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs (2005)

Brown holds the following educational degrees:

• Ph.D. in History and Methodology of Economics, Labor Economics from University of Colorado at Boulder
• M.A. in Labor Economics, Urban Economics from University of Colorado at Boulder
• B.A. in Economics, Sociology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

She was an associate professor of economics at Eastern Washington University from 1981 to 2001 and served as an associate professor in Gonzaga University's graduate-level organizational leadership program from 2001 to 2012.

She is a native of Robinson, Illinois,and has a son, Lucas.