Background

Brian Fagan is a third generation Cedar Rapidian. Some of you may remember his grandfather, Bud Maher, who worked in the men’s department of the Armstrong’s Department Store in the 1950s and 1960s. Certainly, many of you will remember Brian’s father, Don Fagan, who worked as a switchman on the Rock Island and Iowa Northern Railroads until his retirement in 1996. Brian’s mother, Gloria, and six of his eight siblings live in Cedar Rapids and several of his nieces and nephews have returned to live here. His roots are deep and extensive in this community.

Brian graduated from Regis High School and received a Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa. He worked for two years with Congressman Jim Leach in Leach’s Cedar Rapids office as a community liaison coordinating district activities, managing casework with federal agencies, and researching federal grant opportunities.

Brian moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue his master’s degree in International Political Economy at Catholic University. While there, he continued to work for the Congressman on the United States House of Representatives Banking and Financial Services Committee. During graduate school, Brian spent a semester in Leuven, Belgium, where he worked at the European Commission in Brussels.

Brian returned to Iowa to attend Drake Law School in Des Moines, where he became Editor-in-Chief of the Drake Law Review and graduated with honors in 2001. He worked as a Law Clerk for Judge Michael Melloy and subsequently joined the Moyer Bergman Law Firm which has recently merged to become Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman Law Firm.

For the past three years, Brian has had the honor and privilege of serving you as an at-large representative to the Cedar Rapids City Council. He continues to work full-time at his law practice and participates in numerous community organizations:

• Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization, 2006-Present;
• President, Linn County I-Club, 2008-2009;
• Access Iowa Board Member, 2003-2006;
• Fifteen in 5, Government and Transportation Subcommittee and Light Rail Initiative Committee;
• Linn County Community Empowerment Board, 2006-2008;
• HACAP Headstart Policy Council, Vice-Chairperson, 1994-1996;
• Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, 1994-1996; and
• United Way Professional Development Committee, 1994-1996.

Brian has received recognition for his leadership role in helping to build one great Cedar Rapids:

• Corridor Business Journal’s Twenty-five Corridor’s Most Influential, 2008;
• Corridor Business Journal’s Forty under 40, 2005; and
• Chamber of Commerce Leadership for Five Seasons Class of 2005.