Harold D. Brown
Executive Director
KnowledgeWorks Vice President Harold D. Brown is the founding Executive Director of EdWorks. In this dual role, Harold oversees the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative (OHSTI), a more than $50 million dollar initiative to transform large, struggling urban high schools into smaller, more successful schools. He also leads the Ohio Early College High School Network (ECHS), part of a national effort to give underserved students the opportunity to gain an Associate's Degree, or 60 hours of college credit upon high school graduation. Harold serves on the Board of Directors for Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and The Buckeye Ranch in Grove City, Ohio.
Harold has a long history with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, even working for its predecessor, Student Loan Funding Corporation, Inc., as Corporate Communications & Media Coordinator. Prior to this, Harold served as Director of Multicultural Enrollment Services for Miami University (Ohio), and as Chief of Staff for the Vice President for Student Affairs, where he honed his considerable public speaking skills writing speeches and presentations for the vice president.
Harold is frequently quoted in newspapers across Ohio on key education issues including high school reform, higher education, and multicultural access. A native of Oxford, Ohio, Harold earned his Bachelor's Degree in Government, with honors, from Harvard University.
In keeping with the KnowledgeWorks and EdWorks hands-on leadership and management philosophy, Harold frequently travels to high schools, speaking with students, teachers, and administrators about their needs, challenges, and victories. He says he works for education because he believes in its power. "I believe that education is the key for quality of life and advancement for all people, especially those who are racially, culturally, and economically 'non-majority,'" says Harold. "Education opens doors to opportunities that otherwise might remain closed."