Jeri Brooks

Jeri Brooks is an active pillar in the City of Houston with 20 plus years of experience in public relations, public engagement and a commitment to helping make Houston a better place. Last year she was named Chairwoman of the Houston Permit Center Advisory Board. Brooks has an extensive background in addition to being the CEO and Lead Strategist for One World Strategy Group. Brooks has served in several positions throughout the City of Houston including Vice Chairwoman Rebuild Houston Advisory Committee, Strategist to Chairman Rebuild Houston Advisory Committee, Interim Chief of Staff for Jarvis Johnson Past District B City Council member, a variety of City of Houston projects working with OBO, HAS, Planning, ARA and the Mayor’s office over the last 10 years. Her direct work with the City has moved community-driven ordinances forward and as well as her role as a consultant to prime contractors working on community and infrastructure projects. The work in the City of Houston, Harris County and the State of Texas is varied and has positioned her to have a broad understanding of multiple stakeholder groups and the process of getting things done. munity involvement speaks volume of her endless support for the City she calls home. She is a member of the City of Houston Permit Center Advisory Board, Chairwoman Professional Advocacy Association of Texas (PAAT) Austin Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Social Action Committee Co-Chair brother’s annual visit to Chicago to spend Spring Break with their aunts. Having an opportunity to grow up experiencing the extremes of “Sunday best” to go shopping and to the theater, to long days creating outdoor games and building huts, cultivated a curiosity and adventurous side of Jeri that is still evidenced in her life to this day. She is a top 100 Hired Gun Texas lobbyist, amazing aunt called “Lou Lou,” entrepreneur, friend, mentor, sister, daughter. She is a woman of diverse interests with a foundation built on love. When asked, who is Jeri Brooks, she responded, “a good human and brilliant mind aggressively chasing new experiences and opportunities to grow as an individual and contribute to the world.”

Greater Houston Black Chamber, Advocacy & Policy Committee Chair Big Brothers Big Sisters Board of Directors Sam Houston Area Council Board of Directors, Boy Scouts of America TXRX, and Labs Board of Directors. Jeri Brooks is a small town, big city girl raised in Carbondale, a college town in the Southern region of Illinois. Her love for the big city came from her and her Everyone has a story about why they started, what’s your why? So, my why is very simple. My story starts on the beaches of Guatemala and in a downtown Houston credit union upstairs corner office, where I ran out of vacation time and realized that the team could be equally strong without my presence in the office on a day-to-day basis. After spending several years developing both the culture and corresponding training class, I submitted my annual plan and budget excluding myself as an employee, sharing a direction that would allow the organization to save money, meet the training objectives and free me from a mundane existence in a place I no longer belonged. And so, I will never forget, my vice president strolled into my office and stated the president wanted to see us. I had a long list of positive quotes that I often used in coaching managers and staff in my office, and she said, “take a moment and read those quotes.” The writing was on the wall…literally. We left my office and as we walked down the hall I asked, “so I’m getting fired, huh?” in a relatively nonchalant manner, as I had dinner plans that evening and was calculating how I could make this transition with the boss and dinner still happen on this day, November 4th (One World Independence Day). She simply said, “just listen, listen to what Anne has to say.” And I so did. She shared a story of her dad’s failed entrepreneurial experience, and bragged on my work with a serious caution that “being in business is hard.” To this day, I appreciate her doubting my ability as though I were going to fail as her father did, and more so motivating me to “show her” that I could, and I would be successful on my own. I began with “my stories start on the beaches of Guatemala,” and it was in that time that I realized, prior to the aforementioned story that I knew, that I knew, that I knew I could and would no longer work in that building. The people had been good to me; and I knew that I didn’t want to look back even 3 years from then and wonder why I had a mediocre job with a reasonable pay and had not chased my own dreams. It was the singing and dancing in Livingston, the beautiful open window hut in Rio Dulce, the lazy afternoon pools in the mountains, family time and the like, that was the final motivation to move me from employee to employer, a dream that had been manifesting since my early 20’s. And, in that season, One World was born, with an affirmation that many may understand. My mother had always said, “you don’t leave a job until you have a job,” but the day I called to tell her I would no longer work for the credit union she said, “well, I guess that makes me Mama One World,” and she and my family have journeyed with me ever since.

What was your dream career as a child? I dreamed of either being a teacher or lawyer. As a young child I would design bulletin boards for my Godmother, who was a teacher. In high school I became intrigued by a student, state government and mock trials. My career is a combination of my childhood interests and loves.

What is the mission/goal of One World Strategy Group, LLC? We are good humans and brilliant minds. Our goal is to work on meaningful projects that impact the communities we serve through policy and engagement. We don’t have a turnkey solution and pride ourselves on creating customized solutions for each project we work on. Do good work. Get paid well. Explore the world.

Was this the career field that you originally wanted to enter? Explain your response. I did not know, nor had I ever heard of a lobbyist. Had I known, likely I would have been drawn to this career as it combined the 2 careers I dreamed of having as a child. I happened into my career by showing up when given an opportunity, performing and having a larger vision for myself. When I went to work for the Annise Parker for Mayor campaign, One World already existed. We were providing public relations and strategy work, mostly. As her first employee on the campaign who did everything including administrative work, I didn’t know what would happen if she would win, but I believed in her and my own talents and was ultimately named Communications Director. After you help elect a mayor, in particularly a gay mayor in the South’s largest city, many doors open, and I found my love for policy. I like that I can use all of my skills and literally change how the world works.

What have been some major projects and developments that you have contributed to? I am very proud to have been a part of the team that passed HB 100 in the 85th Legislature allowing transportation network companies to operate throughout Texas. And the following session, passing HB 1576, expanding the use to assist Texas’ most vulnerable communities dependent on Medicaid. I am also proud of negotiating the 380 agreement with the City of Houston that created a thriving development in the Yale/Heights area of Houston and a memorandum of understanding with the city to allow international gates at Houston Hobby airport.

But perhaps the legislation that still to this day nearly brings tears is working in tandem with the City’s at-large member to push forward Food Desert legislation to combat the chal lenges of food insecurity in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Tell us about your journey as a lobbyist. When you elect a mayor, people are interested in you and provide opportunities. You take them and the next thing you know… you’re working at the State Capital for 140 days every other year and ranked #70 of the top 100 Hired Gun Lobbyists in the state. Seriously, I had three great lobby mentors, Nancy Sims, Keith Wade and Robert Miller, who all believed in my talent and hired me and my team to work on ordinances, legisla tion and campaigns at the municipal, county and state level. It was hard, different, excit ing, intriguing, and pushed me to do more, learn more, think harder, process better and to leave my ego and emotions outside of the room to accomplish the goal. The journey was easier in Houston, I mean, I knew the Mayor. At the state, it was an entirely differ ent ball game. As people say, “I didn’t know where the bathrooms were,” and if you’ve been to the Capital, they can be somewhat of a challenge to find. Everything was differ ent. Relationships were new. The process of passing or killing a bill was different. I was different. In Texas, the lobby is dominated by men, and white men to be specific, so during this journey to lobby, not only did I have to learn the job, I had to learn the players and the appropriate protocol.

What are some of the issues that you have worked on during State Lobby Leg islative Sessions? I’ve worked on transportation, tax, healthcare, special purpose districts, appropriations, housing, pension and a host of other issues. We are generalists, which means we are experts in the process of lobbying and have relationships and resources to collab orate with any client on any issue to pass or kill legislation. I believe our unique value proposition is our expertise in public relations and engagement that guides our approach to the lobby.

Do you have a philosophy or quote that you live by? If so, what is it? What has been the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? I find the hardest part of being an entrepreneur is learning to balance my time of doing the operations and administrative work when really, I only want to focus on the execution of a good product. And in general, operating a financially strong business while having a “small business” culture.

How would you describe yourself in one word? Why? Warrior. I am courageous, energetic, assertive (and sometimes aggressive). I have the ability to lead and to follow with a distinct focus of winning for the client, community and/or project.

What are some failures that you most cherish? I cherish getting fired from a job that I was really good at prior to starting One World. I saw it as a failure because I was fired and then I realized it was a blessing as that cul ture was limiting my growth. I appreciate the everyday little failures that force you to look at your business from a completely different perspective that pushes me to make better decisions to increase revenues and brand reputation.

If you could offer one piece of advice, what would it be? Find what you are good at, what you love and chase that dream down to create a lifestyle that fills you with joy.

Brooks plans to continue to grow in her trade while also using her talents outside of work to better the world. We are excited about her future contributions to the State of Texas and the City of Houston. For more information on One World Strong visit http:// www.oneworldstrong.com. Be sure to fol low One World Strong on all social media streams!

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