Brian Durand

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Brian Durand
Basic facts
Role:	Former chief of staff
Location:	Hartford, Conn.
Affiliation:	Democrat
Education:	University of Connecticut
Prior Experience Chief of staff, Dan Malloy gubernatorial administration, 2015-2018 •Dannel Malloy 2006 gubernatorial campaign •Andrew McDonald 2006 Connecticut State Senate •World Wrestling Entertainment •Global Strategy Group •Dannel Malloy gubernatorial administration

Brian Durand is a Democratic political strategist in the state of Connecticut. He is the former chief of staff to Gov. Dannel Malloy (R) from 2015 to 2018.

Durand had worked with Malloy since he was mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, and was the first paid staffer on Malloy's unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2006.

Career

Early career

After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in political science, Durand started working in politics as an aide to Malloy, first working on Malloy's 2005 campaign for re-election as mayor of Stamford, Connecticut. He joined Malloy's unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2006, beginning as the campaign's deputy press secretary then moving on to work as the director of online communications. After Malloy was defeated in the primary election, Durand then managed Andrew McDonald's (D) campaign for Connecticut State Senate. He then moved on to work with World Wrestling Entertainment as a communications specialist.

Global Strategy Group

In 2008, according to the Hartford Courant, Roy Occhiogrosso—a Connecticut Democratic strategist—hired Durand to work at his firm, the Global Strategy Group (GSG). The two had met during Malloy's unsuccessful run for governor in 2006. At GSG, he was a communications aide and worked with Malloy's 2010 gubernatorial campaign on communications.

Dannel Malloy advisor

Gubernatorial administration

After Malloy was elected governor in 2010, Durand joined his administration in the office of policy and management, where he served from January 2011 until October 2012. He then moved to become the governor's deputy chief of staff, working under then-chief of staff Mark Ojakian. In his role as deputy chief of staff, according to the Hartford Courant, Durand was involved in the administration's work to legalize alcohol sales on Sundays in the state; he also helped to strategize Malloy's response to the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Chief of staff

Durand was announced to replace Ojakian as chief of staff in September 2015. At the announcement, Malloy said of Durand, "He has excelled at every challenge and task he has been presented with, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role as chief of staff for my administration."

Chief of staff

See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff

In 2017, Ballotpedia identified Brian Durand as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.

The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):

• Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
• Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
• Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
• Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.

In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."

See also

• Dan Malloy
• Roy Occhiogrosso

External links

• Brian Durand on LinkedIn