Yvette McGee Brown: Children, family advocate named commencement speaker

Her name might not ring a bell to the typical college student, but Yvette McGee Brown has improved the lives of children and families across the nation.

Brown, who has been chosen as the keynote speaker for the Winter Commencement ceremony, served as president of the Center for Childhood and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.

The center, which is a partnership between the hospital and the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence, aims to prevent child and domestic abuse, and treat abuse victims.

Yvette McGee Brown

Brown is a Columbus native and former Buckeye, graduating in 1985 from Ohio State's Moritz College of Law to earn her Juris Doctorate. She attended Ohio University as an undergraduate and received Doctor of Laws degrees from both Ohio Dominican University and Mount Carmel College of Nursing.

Brown is a chair of the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. OSU has recognized her for her service to the university, awarding her the William Oxley Thompson Alumni Award and the Medal of Merit Alumni Award.

Her accomplishments go beyond the university, as she served as the first African American and the second female judge in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas in the Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court from 1993 to 2002. She also served as a chair on the board of directors for the United Way of Central Ohio and YWCA Columbus.

She now serves on the board of directors of M/I Homes, Inc., and Fifth Third Bank of Central Ohio, and is a member of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence and the OhioNetwork of Child Advocacy Centers.

Brown will speak at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 22 at St. John Arena.