As Director of the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), Brian Golden is charged with overseeing the growth of a rapidly developing Boston. Class president of the Boston Latin School class of 1983, Brian went on to study at Harvard College, where he concentrated in government. In addition, he earned a Master’s degree from the US Army War College and a law degree from the College of William and Mary.

From a young age, Brian knew that his future lay in public service. Joining the Army in 1993, he has spent over twenty years in service as an officer, both on active duty and reserve. He has been deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, and Israel. In 1999, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives to serve his native Allston-Brighton. During his three terms in office, Brian served on the Joint Committee on Education, Arts, and Humanities, as the vice chair of the Joint Committee on Government Regulations, and more.

After leaving the House, Brian was appointed as a commissioner of the Department of Telecommunications and Energy by Governor Romney in 2005. He served in this position until 2007, when he became the New England Regional Director at the US Department of Health and Human Services during the Bush administration. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.

Brian has called the BPDA home since 2009 (known as the BRA at the time), when he joined as an executive director. In 2014, he served as acting director before being appointed the permanent director by Mayor Walsh. Under his leadership, the BPDA has experienced many developments of its own, including its rebranding in 2016. With it, the Agency hopes to portray itself as one that values planning just as much as it does development, looking to engage and involve communities in the development process as much as possible.