When Affordable Housing Finance first reported on the appointment of Federal Housing Commissioner Brian Darrell Montgomery, we noted that the press release issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development gave his employment history only since 1995, when he was already 39 years old. Affordable Housing Finance, August 2005, page 4. The Senate Banking Committee has now disclosed the public portion of the “Statement for Completion by Presidential Nominees” that Montgomery submitted as a candidate for his current position. The following timeline is based on this Statement verbatim (where quoted) plus additional sources that are specified.

  • Aug. 2, 1956 – Born, Austin, Texas.
  • 1974 – Graduated from Westbury High School, Houston. Source: Web site of the Friends of Westbury High School Foundation.
  • 1974 – “In 1978, I was the defendant in a civil lawsuit resulting from a traffic accident with a fatality occurred in 1974. The jury ruled in my favor.” The Harris County Houston court clerk’s office reports that a case captioned Elizabeth Gibbons v. Brian Darrell Montgomery was filed July 28, 1975. Our request for documents from this case file is pending. The same office confirms that no criminal case was filed against Montgomery. UPDATE: Court records from Harris County, Texas show that Mr. Montgomery was the driver in an August 1973 accident that killed a pedestrian. The pedestrian's parents filed suit against Mr. Montgomery -- then barely 17 years old -- and also against his father for negligent entrustment of the car. At trial in 1978, the jury found that both driver and pedestrian acted carelessly in some ways, but its final decision was in favor of the Montgomerys and the court cleared both father and son of all claims against them.
  • 1975-1979 – The Statement gives 1975-1979 as dates of attendance at the University of Texas. The University of Texas/Austin reports a Brian Darrell Montgomery was enrolled from January 1975 to December 1976; re-enrolled from September 1977 to December 1979, and was a junior majoring in government as of his last day of enrollment.
  • 1980-1986 – “Petrochemical and Chemical Processing Industry, 1980-1986, Houston, Texas, International Inventory Specialists, Alloy Spectrotest, and Corr Tech, Inc. Held managerial and marketing positions in the petrochemical and chemical processing industries, including managing a materials testing laboratory and representing manufacturers of fluid handling equipment,” per the Statement. It also gives 1981-1986 as dates of attendance at the University of Houston. The university confirms that a Brian Darrell Montgomery received a B.A. in political science May 17, 1986. The Statement lists these memberships: “American Chemical Society affiliate 1982-84; Society for Applied Spectroscopy 1982-84.”
  • Mid-1980s – The Friends of Westbury site says “Brian began his political career in the mid-1980s ...” The Statement says he belonged to the “Houston Young Professional Republicans 1984-89.”
  • 1987-1990 – “Whittle Communi-cations LLC, November 1987-May 1990, Regional Manager, Houston, Texas.” Marketed “Channel One, a nationally targeted satellite transmitted news broadcast for secondary school students ... Also served as regional spokesperson.”
  • July 1990-July 1992 – “Office of Presidential Advance ... Lead Press Advance Representative.” A June 10, 1990, Houston Post article suggests he did prior advance work for President George H. W. Bush.
  • July 1992-January 1993 – “Office of the Vice President ... Deputy Director of Advance.”
  • April 1993-May 1994 – “Taylor-Neumann Public Relations ... Account Supervisor, Houston, Texas.” Worked “on behalf of corporate clients and governmental organizations.”
  • June 1994-January 1995 – Director of Advance with the George W. Bush for Governor campaign; Director of Events for his inaugural committee.
  • January 1995-February 1996 – Communications Director of the Texas Department of Commerce.
  • 1996 – “Volunteer Advance, Dole-Kemp.”
  • February 1996-May 1999 – Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Communications Director.
  • 1999 – “Director of Events, Texas Inaugural Committee.”
  • May 1999-December 2000 – “Director of Advance, George W. Bush for President; Bush-Cheney 2000.”
  • December 2000-January 2001 – “Chief Deputy & Director of Events/Operations, Presidential Inaugural Committee,” title also stated as “Principal Deputy and Director of Special Events and Operations.”
  • January 2001-January 2003 – Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Advance.
  • 2004 – Made a $500 contribution to the Bush-Cheney campaign.
  • January 2003-April 2005 – Deputy Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary, where he reported leading space shuttle, hurricane and wildfire responses.
  • April 12, 2005 – White House announced plans to nominate Montgomery to the Federal Housing Commissioner post. (Source: White House Web site.)
  • April 25, 2005 – Nomination transmitted to the Senate.
  • May 25, 2005 – Nomination hearing before the Senate Banking Committee. (Source: Senate Banking Committee Web site.)
  • June 13, 2005 – Confirmed by the U.S. Senate. (Source: Congressional Record.)