Brian's Family
& deciding on Oak Park
Brian and his partner, Shannon, came to Oak Park nearly a decade ago and are raising their 8- and 3-year-old children in the home Shannon’s mom grew up in, near Lindberg park in northwest Oak Park.
Brian has fond memories growing up riding bikes around his hometown and playing in front yards with the neighborhood kids—and wants the same for his kids here in Oak Park. As a step in that direction, Brian currently serves on the Oak Park Transportation Commission where he advocates for complete streets—redesigning our streets to be safer and more accessible for our families to be able to bike, walk and access public transportation.
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LEADERSHIP
Brian served on the leadership team of Represent Oak Park, working tirelessly to support Black candidates and campaigns that centered antiracism during the 2021 local election campaigns. Brian also served as a board member for Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors, a nonprofit providing free high-quality legal services for low-income immigrants across northern Illinois.
EXPERIENCE
Brian received his BA, cum laude, from Hope College in 2008. During his time at Hope College, Brian served as the President of the Hope College Democrats. In that role, Brian worked to bring Governor Jennifer Granholm and Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean to campus to speak about how their faith impacts their politics and the policies they support.
always learning
Following graduation, Brian worked as a field organizer for Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign, organizing the University of Michigan. Every field organizer was trained to live out the words “Respect. Empower. Include.” He learned first hand that transformational change comes from optimistic, forward-looking leadership. These lessons have had a profound impact on Brian’s professional life and his desire to give back to his community.
TODAY
In 2014, Brian received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School. Following graduation, Brian and Shannon moved to Oak Park and settled in the home that Shannon’s mother grew up in. Brian’s son attends Horace Mann Elementary School and his daughter is in preschool at Alcuin Montessori School.
Brian is now a senior litigation associate at Greenberg Traurig, where he has been repeatedly recognized for combining his passion for social justice with his professional aptitude through his pro bono work. Some of his current pro bono projects include: representing a group of transgender women challenging the constitutionality of the Illinois name change statute and representing a client seeking asylum in the United States. Brian has filed amicus curiae briefs on behalf of pro bono clients in the First Circuit, Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
