Texas Space Commission

     On Jan. 1, 2023, Brian D. Freedman began his tenure as president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) having served as president-elect since August 2022. As president, Freedman leads regional economic development efforts, advocates for regional priorities, and directs a team of world-class economic development professionals. The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership is a membership-driven organization dedicated to stimulating regional economic development and employment. The organization utilizes a collaborative committee structure engaging over 290 member companies, business professionals, local governments, and educational institutions along with 18 cities and Harris and Galveston counties.

Prior to joining BAHEP, Freedman served as senior manager of State and Local Government Operations, Southwest Region, for The Boeing Company. He was responsible for overseeing state and local government relations activities at multiple Boeing facilities throughout Texas and Colorado. This work included advising on legislative issues impacting Boeing, acting as the liaison with elected officials, communicating key messages, and leading strategic outreach efforts with employees, supplier bases, business organizations, and state, local, and federal officials.

Freedman served as the lead for Legislative Affairs at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, before joining Boeing in March 2013. He was responsible for all aspects of communication and relationships between NASA JSC and the U.S. Congress, state and local governments, space-related associations, and citizen-organized space groups.

Preceding his work at NASA, Freedman was the aerospace coordinator and contract administrator for BAHEP. There he coordinated aerospace industry advocacy efforts and managed a portfolio of economic development contracts between the organization and nine municipalities. Freedman serves on numerous community organizations and boards.          

He is a current board member and the past chairman of the board of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and vice chair for Wellby Financial.

Freedman holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Mississippi State University, an MBA with a graduate certificate in finance from Colorado State University, and an executive certificate in strategy and innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.