We Remember Commissioner and Board President Jay Scott Brown

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Jay Scott Brown, former Commissioner and Chairperson for the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (OCCY) and former Board President for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has died.  He was 69 years old.

Commissioner Brown began his service at OCCY in 1992 when Governor David Walters appointed him to serve as an active member of the State Post Adjudication Review Advisory Board (PARB).  During his 27 years of service as a state board member of the PARB, Brown held various leadership positions – including its chair-elect.  When he resigned from the PARB in 2019, he wrote in his resignation letter, “… I have been honored to have served five Governors and [have] seen positive changes in Oklahoma’s systems and in the lives of the children they serve.”

In 2011, he was appointed by Governor Mary Fallin to serve as OCCY’s Commissioner Representing Post Adjudication Review Boards.  In 2014, he was elected by his peers to become the chairperson of the commission.  He served in this role until 2018.

During that same time, Brown served two terms of three years each on the board for the OICA, including an additional year following his term as the president of their board.  Under his leadership, OICA shifted away from programs tied with specific missions to return to the roots of the organization by promoting policies for overall support of at-risk youth within local, state and federal policy.  With his direction, OICA worked with legislative leaders and members of the Oklahoma Executive Branch to improve upon direct policies affecting foster youth within the Department of Human Services, minors in the care of the Office of Juvenile Affairs, and all other children in the state through fiscal policies to help families.

“Commissioner Brown spent countless hours serving at OCCY as well as volunteering for numerous children’s organizations,” said OCCY Executive Director Annette Wisk Jacobi.  “He was a big part of OCCY for many years and the staff and commission are sincerely thankful for his service.” 

“Jay Scott was a passionate and thoughtful leader for issues impacting the children of Oklahoma,” said Joe Dorman, OICA CEO.  “His experience and dedication led to so many significant policy improvements which will help young Oklahomans for decades to come.”

Parallel to his service on the PARB, in the year 2000, Brown sat as a designee on the Child Death Review Board (CDRB).  In 2001, he was appointed as the CDRB’s official representative of the PARB.  During his tenure with the board, he served one term as Vice-Chair, one term as Chair and two terms as Chair, Ex-Officio.  Prior to leaving the CDRB in 2016, he was involved in a project that created car sunshades designed to remind caregivers to check for children in the backseat of their vehicles. 

“Commissioner Brown’s service and leadership at OCCY was an inspiration,” said OCCY Assistant Director Mark James.  “His passion for helping the children of Oklahoma motivated everyone who had the opportunity to work alongside him.  We will miss him.”

His continued work with OICA following his term on the board demonstrated his dedication to improving the lives of children.

“Jay Scott was a legend in Oklahoma for children’s issues – and one of my heroes,” said Mitchell Rozin, current board member for OICA and president emeritus of the organization.  “Under Jay Scott’s leadership, OICA was able to touch the lives of many children.  Working alongside him changed the way I looked at children’s issues in Oklahoma.”

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 in his hometown of Shawnee, Oklahoma.  To view his obituary, please click here.

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