S. Brandon Coan currently serves as Managing Member at Applied Civics, a responsible, local-level government relations firm. He advises clients on civic engagement and public policy and continues to focus on the issues he championed while on Louisville Metro Council, including sustainability, infrastructure and public health.
Brandon spent four years serving in public office and had the distinction of serving as Chairman of both the Public Works Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Landmarks. Previously, he practiced law at Tachau Meek PLC focused on a variety of business and government law matters.
Brandon founded Applied Civics after more than a decade as a political strategist, legal advisor and government director. In 2003–2004, he served in the Department of Scheduling & Advance for former President Bill Clinton, before serving as a member of the advance team for John Kerry for President 2004. Four years later, he clerked for the Honorable Charles R. Simpson III of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. In 2009–2010, he managed the mayoral campaign of former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and then went on to serve as the Director of Policy in the Mayor’s Office. He also served as a strategist on campaigns for Louisville Metro Council and the Jefferson County Board of Education.
In 2016, Brandon defeated six other candidates to win the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the Louisville Metro Council District 8 general election. He established a record for being a prolific writer of legislation, a Best of Louisville award-winning newsletter author and a groundbreaking podcast creator. He chose to not seek re-election in 2020 and, instead, to return to the private sector.
Brandon is a graduate of the University of Michigan (English and American History) and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He holds a Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business.
Brandon currently serves as a Trustee at the Norton Foundation and as a Board Member at the Brightside Foundation. His volunteer work and tenacity has earned him recognition as one of the New Faces of Philanthropy by Nfocus Magazine and the Community Foundation of Louisville.
