C. Jerome Brown

Charles “Jerome” Brown, II is a native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi and a graduate of the Hattiesburg Public Schools System.  At Hattiesburg High School, Brown participated in Band, Basketball, Future Business Leaders of America, Hi Y and Student Council, serving as Senator. 

Brown graduated from Jackson State University with a Bachelor in Business Administration majoring in Marketing.  Jerome furthered his studies at the University of Southern Mississippi in Management.  He is also a graduate of the University of Mississippi’s School of Banking with the Mississippi Bankers Association. Brown also holds a certification from the True South Economic Development Program from the University of Southern Mississippi.  Brown self describes himself as a Servant Leader. 

Brown is Executive Vice President, Chief Community Officer at The First Bank. At The First, Jerome oversees community development and corporate social responsibility activities in The First’s footprint.  This position establishes, participates and maintains relationships with local governments, community based, charitable, and non-profit organizations.  Brown develops and implements programs and products to ensure the Bank meets the needs of the community and maintains compliance regulations.  Brown advises the Bank’s Executive Management and Bank personnel of emerging community issues to ensure compliance directives are achieved.  Brown further assists in ensuring department activities run smoothly and efficiently by providing leadership, training and supervision within the company.  Upon being appointed as Executive Vice President in 2019, Brown became the first African-American to be a named executive with a publicly traded company from the State of Mississippi. 

In the community, Brown has been very active where he currently serves the following: 

• Commissioner of the Forrest County Industrial Park Commission, Vice Chair
• Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission representing the City of Hattiesburg Ward One; Vice Chair 
• Mississippi Council on Economic Education; Past Chairman and Director Emeritus 
• Mississippi Economic Council; Board of Governors
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Vice Chair
• Area Development Partnership Leadership Pinebelt Steering Committee member.  First African American Chair
• Hattiesburg Public School District Foundation; Board President  
• Jackson State University, College of Business Advisory Board

His past boards include the following:

• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Minority Depository Institutions Advisory Council (Comptroller Appointee)
• The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation 
• The University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation
• Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club 
• Renaissance Community Loan Fund Corporation
• DREAM of Hattiesburg 

• The Area Development Partnership 
• Asbury Foundation, Board Member 

• United Way of Southeast Mississippi, Board Chairman (first African American) 
• Hattiesburg Athletic Booster Club; Founder and Past President 

Brown is Past President of the Jackson State University National Alumni Association, Hattiesburg Chapter and currently the Treasurer.  Brown is member of the Jackson State University National Alumni Association Board of Directors served as the Sergeant at Arms. He is chair of the Investment Committee. 

Brown is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., where he is Past President of the Mississippi Caucus and Past President of the Hattiesburg Alumni Chapter and is past Southwestern Province Board Member for Mississippi and lead the province’s financial education program called Greek Learning to Avoid Debt (GLAD). Brown is now the Southwestern Province Polemarch (President), which is head of fraternal operations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and New Mexico.  Since 1930 only 3 Mississippians have served in this position our of 28 men and the last for Mississippi was 31 years ago. 

In 2003 the Hattiesburg Jaycees named Brown as the Outstanding Young Citizen of the Year, nominated by Hattiesburg Public School District Superintendent Dr. James Davis.  In 2008 and 2012, Brown received the Area Development Partnership Top Service Award.  In 2009, the South Mississippi Business Journal named Brown to the prestigious Top 10 under 40.  Brown was also named the 2009 Alumni Brother of the Year from the Mississippi Caucus of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.  Brown is also a Graduate of Leadership Pine Belt and Leadership Mississippi. In 2015, Brown was given the Humanitarian Award by the University of Southern Mississippi National Panhellenic Council for his service as a fraternity advisor.  This group also named him Advisor of the Year twice.  

Brown is married to the former Celeste Thornton of Jackson, Mississippi and they have two children Cameren and Carmen and are members of West Point Baptist Church.  

Major initiatives as Hattiesburg Athletic Booster Club President. 

• Moved all clubs to one club administratively
• Revived the effort for Hattiesburg Car Tags by gifting 200 plus license plates to faculty (board member of foundation as well)

Major initiatives as Hattiesburg Public School District Foundation President

• The idea of the Hall of Fame
• Hired a management company to facilitate day to day which saved thousands in administrative expense and allocated more to HPS