A Proven Leader in Education & Public Service

 

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Brandon dedicated his life to expanding access to education and building economic opportunity across the South. He has held senior leadership positions at three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including serving as:

 

• Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Jackson State University, the fourth-largest HBCU in America, where he helped grow the university’s endowment by more than $18 million.

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• Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Paine College, his alma mater, where he led a fundraising effort that secured over $5 million in one year and raised $4 million for the construction of the HEAL (Health Education Activities Learning) Complex.

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• Vice President at Clinton College, providing strategic leadership over fundraising, alumni relations, diversity programs, and government affairs. He created a partnership between the college and the United Steelworkers Union and Jobs with Justice to advance working families in York, Lancaster, and Chester counties.

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Brandon also served as Deputy Tax Commissioner for Chatham County, Georgia, overseeing financial administration for one of the state’s largest local governments.

 

Today, he continues his family’s legacy as owner of their funeral home business, Upstate Family Funeral Services, a 60-year-old, Black-owned small business that has served generations with dignity and compassion.

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Committed to Community Empowerment

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Beyond higher education and business leadership, Brandon has launched and led initiatives that uplift underserved communities:

• Founder of the HBCU Sports Classic, which has contributed over $350,000 to colleges across the Southeast and helped Upstate South Carolina students access higher education.
   

• Executive Director of the Allen Temple Community Development Center and co-founder of the Upstate Black Family Reunion, both focused on strengthening families and fostering unity.
   

• Organizing member of the Greenville Tech Multicultural Advisory Board, where he helped heal the community during times of racial unrest after one of the institution’s vice presidents made disparaging racial remarks following the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina.
   

In recognition of his leadership, Brandon was honored with the National Legacy Award from UNCF alongside CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, and was formally commended by the South Carolina General Assembly for his service—a rare bipartisan honor entered into the state’s permanent legislative record.​​

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Experience on the National Stage

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Brandon has been deeply engaged in shaping public policy on the national level:

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• In 2004, he made history as the first African American to run for Congress in South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District and the youngest Democratic nominee in the District’s history.

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• In 2006, he served as State Deputy Political Director for Senator Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, advising on key outreach and coalition strategies.

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His career has focused on key issues facing America’s future—education, economic development, diversity and inclusion, national security, and technological innovation.

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