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Draft:Brian P. McGowan

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  • Comment: Unfortunately, I cannot see evidence this person meets WP:NPEOPLE qcne (talk) 15:54, 22 September 2025 (UTC)
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Brian P. McGowan
Born1968 (age 57–58)
Bronx, New York City, U.S.
OccupationEconomic development executive
Known forPresident of Centennial Yards Company

Brian P. McGowan (born 1968) is an American economic development executive. He is the president of Centennial Yards Company in Atlanta, where he leads a $5 billion redevelopment of downtown’s Gulch district.[1] McGowan has previously held senior leadership roles in federal, state, and local government, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration, Deputy Secretary of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, CEO of Invest Atlanta, economic development, agency administrator for the county of San Bernardino, CEO of the Atlanta Beltline, and founding CEO of Greater Seattle Partners. He is also a nonresident senior fellow with the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.[2]

Early life and education

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McGowan was born in the Bronx, New York City, and raised in New Jersey, before attending college in California.[3] He was born to an Irish-American family: his mother immigrated from Ireland in 1963, and his father’s parents both immigrated from Ireland in the 1920s.

He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside and a master's degree in politics, economics, and business from Claremont Graduate University, where he was a Michael and Mary Johnson Fellow.[4][5]

Career

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Early career

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McGowan began his public service in local government in California. He worked as economic development coordinator for the City of Palm Springs, before becoming economic development director for the City of Ontario, California. He later led the Economic Development Agency for San Bernardino County as its administrator.[6] While leading economic development for Ontario and San Bernardino County, McGowan organized and led numerous trade missions to China. His efforts were highlighted in a 2005 New York Times article on U.S. local government delegations, which described trade missions that "do more than just see the Great Wall."[7]

California government

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McGowan served as Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Commerce in the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.[8] In this role he oversaw state economic policy and created the California Innovation Hub (iHub) program, launched in March 2010 to strengthen regional innovation clusters.[9][10]

Federal service (Obama administration)

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In 2009, McGowan was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Chief Operating Officer of the Economic Development Administration. He oversaw agency operations during the national recovery and led the White House Economic Solutions Team responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.[11][12]

At the EDA, he helped develop and launch the i6 Challenge, a national competition created in 2010 to support technology commercialization and entrepreneurship.[13][14][15] Contemporary biographies credit him with creating the program and public records document his role in promoting it.[16][17]

According to his published speaker biography, McGowan also “created new programs including the Strong Cities/Strong Communities and SelectUSA," while serving in the Obama administration.[18] SelectUSA was formally established in 2011 by Executive Order 13577 to promote and facilitate business investment in the United States.[19]

In the same year, he was elected Vice-Chair of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Policy in Rural Areas, representing the United States at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.[20]

Atlanta leadership

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In 2011, Mayor Kasim Reed appointed McGowan as President and CEO of the Atlanta Development Authority, which he rebranded as Invest Atlanta.[21] He later served as Chief Operating Officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and was interim CEO of the Atlanta Beltline.[22]

In 2015, he joined global law firm Dentons as a principal in the U.S. Public Policy and Regulation Practice.[23]

Greater Seattle Partners

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In 2018, McGowan became the founding President and CEO of Greater Seattle Partners, a regional economic development organization for the Puget Sound region.[24]

Centennial Yards

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In 2021, McGowan was appointed President of Centennial Yards Company in Atlanta, overseeing a $5 billion mixed-use redevelopment of downtown’s Gulch area.[25] Under his leadership, Centennial Yards has opened its first residential tower and announced major hotel and entertainment venues.[26][27]

Boards and commissions

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McGowan has served on numerous state, federal, and international boards and commissions. In Georgia, he was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to the board of the Fort McPherson Redevelopment Authority.[28] He also chaired the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone, Inc.,[29] and served as Vice-Chair of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Policy in Rural Areas in 2010.[30]

During his tenure in California state government, McGowan was a member of the California Employment Training Panel.[31][32][33] According to a City of Atlanta release, he also served on additional California boards and commissions, including the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, the California Workforce Investment Board, the International Trade Advisory Committee, and the California Travel and Tourism Commission.[29][a]

Earlier in his career, he was a consultant for USAID in Bulgaria and Serbia.[34]

Selected coverage

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  • "Live Nation Buys Into $5 Billion Master Plan to Revive Atlanta's Downtown". The Wall Street Journal. 2025-05-13.
  • "Trade Missions That Do More Than Just Visit the Great Wall". The New York Times. 2005-08-04.
  • "Gulch to Glory: Is Centennial Yards the next L.A. Live?". Atlanta Business Chronicle. 2021.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ These additional California board memberships are documented in a City of Atlanta release but not yet verified in contemporaneous California state archival records.

References

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  1. ↑ "The day has come. Centennial Yards has its first new skyscraper". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 4, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Brian McGowan – Brookings Profile". Brookings Institution.
  3. ↑ "Brian McGowan — The Atlanta Story". The Atlanta Story. October 19, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Metro Atlanta Chamber's McGowan to Join Dentons". Global Atlanta. December 2, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  5. ↑ "The Flame (Fall 2001)" (PDF). Claremont Graduate University. 2001. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Hollywood 'racetrack' plan gets red-lighted". City of Atlanta. August 29, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  7. ↑ Barboza, David (August 4, 2005). "Trade Missions That Do More Than Just See the Great Wall". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  8. ↑ Semuels, Alana (June 23, 2009). "Losses of factory jobs in California blamed on regulation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  9. ↑ "California Announces Inaugural Designations of the Newly Established Innovation Hub Initiative" (PDF) (Press release). California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. March 18, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Brian McGowan — HOPE Global Forums Speaker Bio". HOPE Global Forums. 9 March 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  11. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Request not Accepted - Security Risk Detected".
  12. ↑ https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/media/files/2015/fernandez091610.pdf
  13. ↑ FY 2010 Annual Report (PDF) (Report). U.S. Economic Development Administration. 2011. pp. 6–7. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Commerce Launches New Challenge to Bring Your Ideas to the Market Faster". The White House (Archives). May 3, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Solicitation of Applications for the i6 Challenge Under EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance Program". Federal Register. 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  16. ↑ "Brian McGowan — Speaker Bio". Hope Global Forums. 9 March 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Prominent Atlanta hire adds to Dentons' global expertise". James Magazine. December 8, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Brian McGowan — Speaker Bio". Hope Global Forums. 9 March 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  19. ↑ "SelectUSA — About". U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  20. ↑ Directory of Bodies of the OECD 2010. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 2010. p. 146. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Mayor Kasim Reed Names President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Development Authority". City of Atlanta. May 18, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Lessons From Atlanta BeltLine's Housing Failures". Bloomberg CityLab. September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Brian McGowan joining Atlanta office of law firm Dentons". Saporta Report. November 29, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  24. ↑ "About Us". Greater Seattle Partners. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Brian McGowan named president of Centennial Yards". Saporta Report. May 20, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  26. ↑ "The day has come. Centennial Yards has its first new skyscraper". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 4, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Live Nation Buys Into $5 Billion Master Plan to Revive Atlanta's Downtown". The Wall Street Journal. May 13, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  28. ↑ Leslie, Katie (December 10, 2014). "Tyler Perry plans for Fort Mac still alive amid board change". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  29. 1 2 "Mayor Kasim Reed Names President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Development Authority". City of Atlanta. May 18, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  30. ↑ Directory of Bodies of the OECD 2010. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 2010. p. 146. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  31. ↑ Annual Report 2007–2008 (PDF) (Report). California Employment Training Panel. 2009. p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Meeting Minutes — November 21, 2008" (PDF). Employment Training Panel. 2008. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Meeting Minutes — January 23, 2009" (PDF). Employment Training Panel. 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  34. ↑ "CGU student Brian McGowan meets Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov" (PDF). The Flame (Claremont Graduate University). Fall 2001. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
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