University of San Francisco’s Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good Names Derick Brown as Senior Director

SAN FRANCISCO (July 15, 2020) – The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at the University of San Francisco (USF) has named Derick Brown as its new senior director. A native of San Francisco’s Fillmore/Western Addition neighborhood, Brown comes to USF with more than 20 years of experience leading community and neighborhood engagement strategies addressing complex problems.

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Derick most recently worked with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) as Senior Community Engagement Advisor since 2018. In this role, he was responsible for implementing the SFPD’s community relations strategy, securing and strengthening partnerships with CBOs, private companies and universities, and building relationships with community thought leaders. Prior to the SFPD, Derick was the Director of the Office of Neighborhood Services for the late mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee, where he designed and managed the Mayor’s community relations strategy. Previously, Derick was the Director of Community Relations for Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

"I am delighted that Derick Brown is the next senior director of the McCarthy Center,” stated USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. “Having grown up in The Fillmore/Western Addition and mentoring young people at the Juvenile Justice Center and the Boys and Girls Club, Derick is the ideal leader to deepen our many community partnerships. His prior professional experiences in the Mayor's Office and with the SFPD have prepared him well to foster in all of our students the vocation of public service and engaged citizenship. His winning personality and 'can do' attitude are infectious and will accelerate USF's mission, vision and values."

The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good is dedicated to inspiring and preparing students at USF to pursue lives and careers of ethical public service. The McCarthy Center provides a forum for education, service and research in public policy-making and programs for the common good, supporting undergraduate and graduate academic programs, service learning, and government experiences for students.

“As a San Francisco native, I feel fortunate and honored to lead the Leo T. McCarthy Center at USF on their next amazing chapter,” stated Brown. “My two decades of experience leading community engagement strategies will serve me well in inspiring and leading students toward productive careers in ethical public service. From service learning and community partnerships, to local internships and master’s degrees in Urban and Public Affairs - the Leo T. McCarthy Center touches them all. I look forward to continuing and enhancing the tradition of inspiring USF students to serve others and pursue successful careers in public service.”

One of the McCarthy Center’s cornerstone programs is Engage San Francisco, a transformative university-community partnership whose key goals are to contribute to and support a vibrant, thriving community for children, youth and families in San Francisco’s Fillmore/Western Addition neighborhood, and enhancing student learning and faculty research in the Jesuit tradition with key connections to USF’s mission, vision and values. The university-wide initiative supports African American neighbors living below San Francisco’s poverty level to achieve their full potential in education, health, career development, and housing.

The McCarthy Center’s outgoing senior director of the past five years, Dr. David Donahue, will continue on at USF, teaching graduate students in the School of Education.

"We are excited to welcome Derick as our next senior director of the McCarthy Center,” stated Dr. Pamela Balls Organista, interim vice provost and special assistant to the provost at USF. “He brings a wealth of experience and understanding in fostering relationships in the community, and achievement in developing and leading organizations and community-based initiatives. We believe that he will be an inspiring leader and advocate for the Center - lifting its profile in the city and nationally." Derick Brown will begin his role as senior director on Monday, August 3, 2020.

About the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at USF

The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good is dedicated to inspiring and equipping students at USF to pursue lives and careers of ethical public service, and the service to others. The center provides a non-partisan forum for education, service and research in public programs and policy-making. It supports undergraduate and graduate academic programs, including a master’s program in urban and public affairs and an undergraduate minor in public service. Additionally, the McCarthy Center provides community-based learning opportunities both domestically and facilitates government experiences for students. Engage San Francisco is a transformative university-community partnership that achieves community-identified outcomes supporting children, youth and families in the Western Addition through student learning, research and teaching aligned with USF’s mission and vision. This university-wide initiative supports African American neighbors living below San Francisco’s poverty level to achieve their full potential in education, health, and career development, and housing. For more information, visit https://www.usfca.edu/mccarthy

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world — and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.