Brian Platt
Partner, Community Relations, UMusic Hotels Development
Brian Platt is Partner and Director of Public Policy for UMusic Hotels Development (UMHD), a real estate development company created with Universal Music Group that builds music and entertainment hubs across cities in North America. He works at the intersection of culture, economic development, and public-private collaboration. These hubs include performance venues, recording studios, a music school, and Universal Music Group-branded luxury hotels and residences. The developments are designed to support creativity, encourage collaboration, attract music tourism, and provide opportunities for 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 launched and supported more than $5 billion in redevelopment projects within less than 5 years. This period represented a major phase of growth and development for the city. He also introduced several sustainability efforts, including planting 10,000 trees within three years and pursuing the development of one of the largest solar arrays in the United States, reflecting a long-term commitment to environmental resilience.
In Jersey City, Brian Platt first served as Chief Innovation Officer, then as Business Administrator, and later as City Manager. During his time 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, Platt worked in management consulting at McKinsey & Company and served as a kindergarten teacher with Teach For America. He also worked 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 Platt has received recognition for leadership, academic achievement, and community service in both professional and academic environments. His honors include being named a 2024 “40 Under 40” award recipient, Emory University’s Most Outstanding Fraternity Chapter President, Alpha Epsilon Pi National Fraternity President of the Year, and selection to Emory University’s 100 Senior Honorary Award, which recognizes the university’s most influential graduating seniors.
Brian was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the Order of Omega, and Phi Sigma Tau honor societies. He also received multiple Dean’s List distinctions and recognition from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. During his time at Emory, he co-founded the university’s 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 Emory Track and Field team.
In government and public service, Platt received national recognition for innovation and leadership. 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 honored as a Government Innovator by Bloomberg Cities.
Brian Platt 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 service and commitment to inclusion have also been recognized through honors such as 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
Brian earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Emory University in Georgia and later completed a Master’s in Public Administration at Columbia University in New York. He continues to contribute to work that connects public policy, development, and cultural growth.
Know More:
https://briandavidplatt.substack.com/p/how-to-plant-more-trees-in-your-city?r=p11jd
https://briandavidplatt.substack.com/p/streetlights-how-to-save-your-city?r=p11jd
https://briandavidplatt.substack.com/p/so-you-think-you-can-plow?r=p11jd
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article298134618.html#storylink=cpy
https://www.kcur.org/podcast/up-to-date/2024-10-22/kansas-city-manager-brian-platt-says-amount-of-development-around-the-city-is-unprecedented
https://www.kcur.org/podcast/up-to-date/2022-02-25/from-snow-removal-to-housing-kansas-city-manager-brian-platt-wants-to-focus-on-the-basics
https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/street-resurfacing-projects-in-kansas-city-missouri-hit-all-time-high-in-fiscal-year-2023-24
https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-starts-curb-to-curb-plowing-on-neighborhood-streets/35230109
https://fox4kc.com/news/kansas-city-resurfacing-hundreds-of-miles-of-streets/
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article287179920.html#storylink=cpy
https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-20/kansas-city-hopes-planting-more-trees-will-create-a-city-within-a-park-and-combat-climate-change
https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-manager-brian-extension-2027/60333790
https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2269/16
https://issuu.com/jewish-kc/docs/12-19-2024-jewishchronicle-a001_1
https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-starts-curb-to-curb-plowing-on-neighborhood-streets/35230109
https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2224/16
https://fox4kc.com/news/2-5-billion-of-new-kcmo-development-breaking-ground-in-near-future/
https://fox4kc.com/news/brian-platt-speaks-publicly-for-first-time-since-suspension/
https://substack.com/@briandavidplatt