Brian Platt
Partner, Community Relations, UMusic Hotels Development
Brian Platt is the Partner and Director of Public Policy for UMusic Hotels Development (UMHD), a real estate development company formed with Universal Music Group that focuses on building music and entertainment hubs across North American cities. He works where culture, economic development, and public-private cooperation meet. These projects include performance venues, recording studios, a music school, and luxury hotels and residences connected to the Universal Music Group brand. The developments aim to become centers of creativity, idea-sharing, music tourism, and opportunities that support emerging artists and the next generation of talent in the music industry.
Brian’s Professional Career
Before joining UMHD, he spent 12 years working in city government. His roles included serving as City Manager for Kansas City, Missouri, and Jersey City, New Jersey.
In Kansas City, Brian served as City Manager and helped launch and guide more than $5 billion in redevelopment projects within less than 5 years. This work represented a significant period of growth and development across the city. He also introduced sustainability initiatives, including planting 10,000 trees within three years and developing one of the largest solar arrays in the United States, demonstrating a commitment to environmental resilience.
In Jersey City, he first served as Chief Innovation Officer, then as Business Administrator, and later as City Manager. While serving as City Manager, he helped the city reach record levels of housing unit construction, comparable to Manhattan in New York City.
In both cities, Brian worked to improve the delivery of core public services. These efforts included record levels of street resurfacing and stronger snow removal operations. He also helped expand resources that supported low-income families and individuals experiencing homelessness.
Earlier in his career, he worked in management consulting with McKinsey & Company and served as a kindergarten teacher with Teach For America. He also served as an Emergency Medical Responder for United Rescue in Jersey City and volunteered as a firefighter in his hometown of Mountain Lakes, NJ, for 10 years.
Recognition & Honors
Brian has received recognition for leadership, academic achievement, and community service in professional and academic settings. His honors include being named a 2024 “40 Under 40” award recipient, recognition as Emory University’s Most Outstanding Fraternity Chapter President, and being named Alpha Epsilon Pi National Fraternity President of the Year. He was also selected for Emory University’s 100 Senior Honorary Award, which recognizes influential graduating seniors.
Brian was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the Order of Omega, and Phi Sigma Tau honor societies. He also earned several Dean’s List distinctions and recognition from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. During his time at the university, he co-founded its Olympic Weightlifting Club, served two terms as vice president, qualified twice for the National Collegiate Olympic Weightlifting Championships, and competed for three years on the track and field team.
In government leadership, he received national recognition for innovation and public impact. He was named to ELGL’s Top 100 Local Government Leaders in the United States for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020. He was also recognized as a Top 100 Millennial in New Jersey Government by Insider NJ in 2018 and 2020 and was honored as a Government Innovator by Bloomberg Cities.
Brian is a co-author of the International City/County Management Association’s Effective Supervisory Practices (6th Edition) and has served as an instructor and session leader for CityLab’s Innovation Studio. His commitment to service and inclusion has also been recognized through honors, including Firefighter of the Year from the Mountain Lakes Volunteer Fire Department, a Diversity Award from the Jackson County, Missouri, Bar Association, and a National Inclusion Award from Variety Kansas City.
Education
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Emory University, Georgia, and later completed a Master’s in Public Administration at Columbia University, New York. Through his work in development and public policy, Brian Platt continues to support projects that connect economic growth, community progress, and cultural activity.
Know more:
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article298134618.html#storylink=cpy
https://fox4kc.com/news/kansas-city-resurfacing-hundreds-of-miles-of-streets/
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article287179920.html#storylink=cpy