Brian J. Hanlon, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Buildings (DOB)

Brian J. Hanlon is the Director of the Department of Buildings, appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser in May 2023 and confirmed by the DC Council in November 2023. He is an accomplished administrator, leader, and registered architect with more than 35 years of private and public sector experience.

Director Hanlon is driven to deliver solutions in the built environment that are responsive to the needs of people, while ensuring they are implemented and used in the most environmentally responsible manner possible. Director Hanlon’s passion and purpose is to work to make our spaces and places integral with a spirit of stewardship.

His mantra for the DOB team is to “Keep it Safe” through rigorous enforcement of the life safety provisions of the construction and housing codes, to “Keep it Green” by encouraging sustainable construction practices and forward-looking updates to the green energy code, and “Keep it Moving” to reduce process friction for developers, design professionals, builders, and homeowners to drive economic development.

Director Hanlon’s mission helps support Mayor Bowser’s transformative Growth Agenda. He emphasizes that DOB is a catalyst for economic development in the District, and under his leadership, DOB has launched new programs that move building projects along faster, such as Concept Review, Pop-Up Permits, and Fast Track Fit Outs. The agency is doing more than ever to ensure DC residents have safe housing thanks to new inspection and enforcement initiatives, stronger collaborations with public- and private-sector partners, and more community outreach efforts.

Director Hanlon previously worked in District government as the Executive Program Manager at the Department of Real Estate, followed by his appointment as the first permanent Director of the Department of General Services, where he and the agency garnered multiple awards for design, innovation, and sustainable practices.

While serving in the private sector, Director Hanlon actively practiced architecture, managed the development of many billions of dollars of K-12 and collegiate real estate, and held several leadership roles focusing on construction management and building technologies.

Director Hanlon is a native Washingtonian who is a proud Ward 6 resident.