Brien has 20 years of economic development experience in three communities in Oklahoma. He has worked numerous economic development attraction and business retention projects totaling close to $2 billion in capital investment and worked as a manufacturing extension agent through the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance. Brien focuses on the aerospace and manufacturing industries and specifically, those manufacturers focused on transportation equipment, metal fabrication, paper and appliances.

He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a double major in management and economics. He also earned his Master of Business Administration Degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a concentration in management. Brien is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council. He is also on the board of directors for the Heartland Basic Economic Development Training Course administered through the University of Northern Iowa.

Brien is a current member of the Oklahoma Governor’s Economic Development Marketing Team and the Oklahoma Economic Development Council and has served in leadership positions in both organizations. He currently serves on a research task force on immigration for the Economic Development Research Partnership of the International Economic Development Council. He was awarded best newcomer of the year by the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce for his work in economic development in that city in 2014.