Mike and Janet Brown

In the Fall of 1966, Janet McCane and Mike Brown, arrived simultaneously at Lynchburg’s only Pizza Hut, each hoping for a good piece of pizza.  With tendencies toward being friendly people, they engaged in casual conversation with each other, which led to dating, and falling in love. Mike, at the time, was a deputy with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office. In 1967, he enlisted in the United States Army and after basic training was assigned to the Military Police Corps with his first assignment being the Sierra Army Depot, Herlong, California. Mike and Janet married in 1968 at the base chapel and Janet obtained employment with the base’s medical services.  

Following Mike’s honorable discharge in 1970, the Browns moved to Washington, D. C., where he worked as a policeman for the Metropolitan Police Department and also enrolled at the American University.  With a career goal of working in law enforcement with the United States Federal Government, Mike earned a degree in the Administration of Justice, as well as Police Administration. 

The acceptance of a position as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in 1972 marked for Mike the second career move of what became a 53-year tenure in law enforcement and intelligence work, twenty of those years in federal service.  After retirement from federal service in 1992, Mike served as a criminal justice consultant and instructor with the United States Department of Justice, International Criminal Investigative Training and Assistance Program, in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Janet’s work at the Sierra Army Depot led to her securing similar employment in Washington in the office of the Surgeon General of the United States Army.  She continued with this work until she and Mike moved to the Central Virginia area.  She enrolled at Liberty University in 2000, received a doctoral degree, and became a Professor in the Psychology Department, teaching both in the classroom and online.  She retires in June.  Dr. Brown holds membership in a number of professional organizations and serves on the boards of organizations addressing human slavery/trafficking and internet crimes against children.

Once back in central Virginia Mike was elected Sheriff of Bedford County and directed, among other public safety duties until his retirement in 2019, the Southern Virginia, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for the U. S. Department of Justice.  He is a member of various professional associations where he has frequently held leadership positions.

Mike and Janet enjoy traveling and visiting friends, relatives and associates in the United Kingdom and Ireland.  The Browns’ daughter Sarah Babiarz lives in Roanoke, Virginia.  Their son, Matthew is deceased (1997).  Accompanying the Browns to Westminster Canterbury is their Maltese, Tinkerbell.