In his new role slated to begin on April 18, Xavier Brown will serve as UDC’s “boots on the ground,” supporting the environmentally-focused Anacostia High School Redesign and driving the University’s educational partnership effortswith the Department of Energy and Environment, schools in the Anacostia High School feeder pattern and other schools in Ward 8, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and community leaders and residents in Ward 8. Brown will also serve as the Anacostia Ambassador in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.
Before joining UDC, Brown founded Soilful, an organization dedicated to reconnecting African Americans to their agricultural roots. He is also the co-founder of South Eats Cooperative, an organization focused on increasing access to healthy, affordable local food for communities living in food apartheid areas in D.C. Additionally, he co-founded Black Dirt Farm Collective, an organization dedicated to supporting emerging Black farmers and growers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Brown has worked at D.C.’s Department of Parks and Recreation as the Small Parks Specialist creating and managing environmental programs across the city. Brown is a lifelong Washingtonian with a Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and a Master of Science from the University of Vermont.