Lori Lipman Brown, Founding Director Emeritus (2005-2009)

 Lori Lipman Brown was hired by the Secular Coalition for America in September, 2005 as its first director and first full-time employee. Until January of 2009 she directed the Coalition's activities and lobbied members of Congress on issues arising out of the inappropriate incursion of religion into civil law.

Brown has addressed the interests and concerns of America's atheists, freethinkers, humanists, agnostics, and other nontheists through media appearances and speaking engagements. She has been a frequent political commentator on television and radio, including appearances on The O'Reilly Factor and The Colbert Report, as well as a regular contributor to a variety of print media.

Before joining the Secular Coalition for America, Brown served as a Nevada State Senator from 1992 to 1994 with a legislative focus on public education, mental health care, and the repeal of laws criminalizing consensual sexual activities. She has also been a private practice attorney, and has taught Constitutional law, American history, and education law at the college level. Brown also taught English, speech and drama at the high school level, and served as a National Education Association diversity trainer.

In June of 2008 Brown proudly accepted the Secular Student Alliance's Freethought Backbone Award. Other honors she has received include Civil Libertarian of the Year from the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, Legislator of the Year from the Nevada chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, Friend of the Center award from the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, the Mark DeWolfe Award from Interweave Continental, and an award from Valley Outreach Synagogue.

Brown obtained her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 1983, and her B.A. in communications from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1981.