Our Strategic Direction

Our guiding principles and strategies are inspired by the life of Thomas R. Brown and the company he created, Burr-Brown Corporation. Its corporate purpose was "To provide something of value to mankind"; we continue this mission through The Thomas R. Brown Foundations.

Burr-Brown was an economic driver for Tucson and Arizona and employed thousands of southern Arizonans in interesting jobs that paid high wages relative to many other jobs in the community. The workforce was diverse, and customers spanned the globe. There was an employee stock-sharing program that allowed employees to participate in ownership of the company, and many of them gained significantly when the company was sold. We would like to re-create opportunities like this for future Arizonans. Accordingly, we support education, training and responsible civics. A healthy community and healthy business environment depend on an educated citizenry and a well-functioning public sector. We have an unfailing commitment to doing this in a strictly nonpartisan manner based on data, rigorous analysis, and inclusiveness.

As we look forward to our next 20 years, the board of trustees have chosen the following four principal focus areas:

• Research and Education
• Workforce Development
• Civic Leadership
• Economics Education

Through investing in programs that advance these focal areas we expect to create opportunities for Arizonans to become more self-determined, more productive, and able to enjoy a higher overall quality of life.