As a 19 year-old college student Brandon Brice majored
in business at Howard University in Washington, DC. Soon after Brice was on Capitol Hill as an
intern for House Speaker Denny Hastert (R-IL), while a fellow at the Heritage
Foundation.
A fellowship at the United Nations brought Brandon Brice to New York where he’d eventually earn a Masters in International Affairs
from Rutgers University as a fellow of their Eagleton Institute for
Politics. Upon gaining experience
through various community organizing and professional positions Brandon Brice felt
prepared for a second graduate degree, an Executive Master of Public Affairs
degree from Columbia University.
Armed with some experience and pursuing an Ivy
League educational credential, Brandon Brice became one of the founding bloggers at
HipHopRepublican.com where he challenged his peers to and fellow music and
culture enthusiasts to look at issues through a politically conservative lens.
Coming from a working-class family in
Detroithe knew he wanted to make a difference in people’s everyday lives, the
way his mom and dad did, a registered nurse and state trooper respectively. So
when Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) tapped Brandon Brice for a hybrid role as Director
of African American Affairs and Education Policy Liaison for the Office of the
Governor, Brandon Brice promptly rose to the challenge.
Brandon Brice describes those days as: ”Challenging
because I had to walk a fine line to bring consensus for everyone at the table,
in terms of black constituent groups, Ed-Reform groups, and the Administration,
but we got it done and I’m very proud of those accomplishments”
Brandon Brice immediately took to the educational
policy aspect of his post, implementing 24 education reform programs on behalf
of the governor, managed more than 2000 constituent relationships with key
African-American stakeholders, and created a 15 member special advisory
committee to advance the governor’s school reforms through the state
legislature.
Prior to the appointment of Commissioner
Richard Constable (cabinet member), Brandon Brice was the highest-ranking black staffer
in the Christie Administration. For his stint at the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey Brandon Brice was Property Representative in the Real Estate Unit
working under the now disgraced David Wildstein.
Eventually being proverbially chewed up and
spit out by the injustices of the political world, Brandon Brice opted to return to the
non-profit sector to make an impact for America’s - often unsung heroes -
military veterans.
Since veterans needed additional education to
re-enter the civilian workforce Brice says he knew he could support the mission
of the Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia and relocated to Atlanta.
As their Director of Strategic Partnerships, Brandon Brice maintained a million dollar budget to provide temporary housing for
veterans assimilating back into civilian life.
The organization also offered educational programs to assist returning
veterans as well. As a collaborative
result the White House and former US President Jimmy Carter, a fellow Georgian,
recently recognized the organization.
Brandon Brice says: “I will continue raising awareness
for the issues I believe in, education reform, small business advocacy, and
supporting our veterans, through my work in media while I explore some upcoming
long-term opportunities in those areas”.
PolitiWeek News is proud to have Brandon Brice
on board writing about education policy, veteran’s affairs, small business news,
and politics.
