Ina Brown’s Dedication To Service Inspired By Mother
By Anne Straub // November 17, 2013
2013 central florida humanitarian
Ina Brown isn’t sure why she should be honored for contributing her time and money to charitable causes. “I feel a lot of people do that,” Brown said.
Perhaps the length of the list of causes and recognitions she and her husband, Hugh, can point to offer a clue to her distinction.
Among the organizational boards Ina Brown has served are the Astronaut Memorial Foundation, Rollins College/Brevard County campus, Brevard Workforce and Keep Brevard Beautiful. She brought decades of experience as a businesswoman to the table.
Ina was working in banking 35 years ago when her husband founded an engineering and technical services firm in the couple’s garage. She decided to leave her career to join the business so he could spend more time marketing.
That interest became BAMSI Inc., a government contractor that worked in NASA centers across the country. BAMSI maintained headquarters in Titusville and developed operations in 11 states.
Hugh also made time for humanitarian causes while growing the business. Now retired from BAMSI, he continues to serve on the board of the United Way of Brevard and Nemours children’s health system.
DOING THE TANGO
Ina, also retired and spending time traveling and with her grandchildren, remains involved. She recently raised $20,000 for KLD Kids. Her fundraising device: the tango.
Ina Brown participated in an Orlando dancing competition to raise money for the organization, which works with youth to help them graduate from high school and plan successful futures. She was paired with a professional dancer to perform.
“I had fun doing that,” she said. “It’s the kind of thing I used to do when I was running the company.”
Charitable involvement, that is. Likely not a lot of tangoing going on in the BAMSI hallways. She came in third place in the competition, determined by money raised and performance. The time and effort she invested is her way of giving back.
Ina Brown’s dedication to service was a value learned through experience and through witnessing her mother’s example. “I had a poor upbringing, raised by a single mother,” Ina said. “I saw a lot of people help us.”
“I have been given so much,” she said. An Aruba native, Ina acknowledges both the good fortune to immigrate to the United States and the hard work she put in played a part in her success.
Her dedication to service was a value learned through experience and through witnessing her mother’s example.
“I had a poor upbringing, raised by a single mother,” Ina Brown said. “I saw a lot of people help us.”
She also saw her mother give what she could. “Mom had demands on her but she always made time to help others.
“Even when you have little, there’s always someone who has it worse than you.”
