Quincalee Brown

Quincalee Brown

Quincalee Brown began her career at Wichita State. Shortly before finishing her master’s degree, she received a call from Wichita State’s long time speech professor Les Blake, who offered her a position as an instructor of speech and assistant debate coach. Brown soon became the debate coach, coaching for six years until she began her doctoral studies at KU. She taught small group communications for KU and served as an assistant professor and debate coach at Ottawa University.

After finishing her coursework at KU, she moved to Washington DC. She continued working on her dissertation and research on women who had participated in consciousness raising groups. She began work as the assistant director of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Commission for Women, a new county level agency and multi-service organization for women, offering crisis and emergency counseling, and career preparation. Following that assignment, she went to the U.S. Government Printing Office as a federal women’s program manager. Soon after completing the requirements for her doctorate, she was hired as the executive director of the Commission for Women.

In 1980, she began working for the American Association of University Women, helping lead the fight for fair pay and economic opportunity for women. Later she joined the Water Environment Federation as the executive director, guiding the nonprofit in providing technical education and training for thousands of water quality professionals. During that time she was also active in the American Society of Association Executives, serving as chairman of the board for the professional organization.

Brown was a founding member of the Water Environment Research Foundation, now part of the Water Research Foundation, with the mission of advancing the science of water to improve the quality of life. She also worked as an independent water quality and association management consultant serving on the boards of directors of Trojan Technologies Inc. in London, Ontario; the Environment and Energy Study Institute in Washington., D.C.; and the New Zealand Water Environment Research Foundation in Wellington, New Zealand.

Her many awards include Contribution to Public Service Award, Montgomery County Government; Outstanding Contribution to Sex Equity;  Frances E. Willard Award, Alpha Phi Fraternity; American Society of Association Executives Key Award;  and Association Executive of the Year Award. She was also recognized by the Elliott School of Communication with the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2002.

Brown volunteers with several boards and is currently working with southwest American Indian populations at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. She is also active with the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

Brown holds undergraduate degrees in speech and English from the University of Wichita and a master of arts in rhetoric and public address from the University of Pittsburgh. She also holds a doctorate in communications and human relations from the University of Kansas.