She was married to Clifford Brown, an economist who helped establish Federated Investors.
[3] As head of Allegheny County's Bureau of Cultural Programs, she spearheaded the development of arts programming at Hartwood Acres, and also oversaw the creation and implementation of public art projects for the Port Authority Light Rail Transit System.
[4] The first major project completed by the Trust was the transformation of the Stanley Theater into the Benedum, with Brown stating the venue’s transformation “marked the beginning of a unified community effort on the part of Pittsburgh’s philanthropy and cultural organizations to create a Cultural District in our Downtown.”[5] Brown's leadership of urban redevelopment in the district was widely praised by many during her tenure, including Brendan Lemon of The New York Times who wrote, “To describe Pittsburgh’s unconventional, un-Disneyfied remodeling of its Cultural District... is to explore how theater can help transform urban identity”.
Brown has also served on the board of directors of Mellon Financial, Heinz Endowments, Duquesne University, Chatham College, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
Brown has received numerous awards throughout her career including Pittsburgh Woman of the Year In the Arts (1982), "Q" Award of WQED for Community Service (1983), Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania (1985), Pittsburgh Woman of the Year (1992), Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, Seton Hill College (1986); Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, Allegheny College (1993); Doctor of Public Service, La Roche College (1996); The Governor’s Award For Arts Leadership and Service (1996); Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, Chatham College (2000); The Allerton Award of the YWCA (2001); The Caliguiri Award of Vectors (2001); as well as community leadership awards from the Jewish National Fund, the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, the Phipps Conservatory, and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.