Jake Brewer

Jacob Thomas Brewer
January 20, 1981 – September 19, 2015

Jake Brewer died at 3:40 pm on September 19, 2015 in a bike accident.

Brewer, of Alexandria, Virginia, was a senior policy adviser in the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House and previously worked as the director of external affairs at Change.org.

“Armed with a brilliant mind, a big heart, and an insatiable desire to give back, Jake devoted his life to empowering people and making government work better for them. He worked to give citizens a louder voice in our society. He engaged our striving immigrants. He pushed for more transparency in our democracy. And he sought to expand opportunity for all,” President Obama said in a statement.

Jake is survived by his wife Mary Katharine Brewer and daughter Georgia.

Selected Works

“The Problem with Petitions: Working with Leaders, Not Just at Them” from Personal Democracy Forum 2014

GM Goes Grassroots. A Son is Torn.
The Huffington Post, 12/19/2008

The Tragedy of Political Advocacy
The Huffington Post, 5/25/2011

My “Illegal” Brother Defines American
The Huffington Post, 7/7/2011

Support the Survivors

Go Fund Me Campaign
Created September 20, 2015
This ongoing support is helping to guarantee that Jake and Mary Katharine’s children will be fully provided for as they grow up, go to school, and pursue their passions.

What Happened

‘I lost part of my heart’: Beloved White House staffer Jake Brewer mourned
The Washington Post, 9/20/2015