THE CNU MIDWEST INTERVIEW: BRETT MORGAN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT MEYER NAJEM
Brett Morgan, Indianapolis, IN
Director of Development, Meyer Najem
Alma Mater: Indiana University - Bloomington
Family: Wife - Cassie, Daughters - Ellie (11) and Josie (6)
Hobbies / Interests: Travel, Chicago Cubs Baseball, IU Basketball, and music.
LinkedIn
BRett reaking Away from a Conference to Visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West (and Catch a Ballgame).
Favorite American city: Chicago
Favorite City Abroad: Venice, Italy
Underappreciated gem: Atlanta
Fun fact:
I nearly became a farmer in my late twenties. My dad, a third generation farmer in northwest Indiana, unexpectedly passed away and there was no clear succession plan. I split my time between my job at the time at the City of Indianapolis DPW and farming on the weekends with the help of my uncle. I made it through one harvest and one planting season and I realized it was too much pressure on my young family and conflicted with my desire to work in public service. With my mother’s support, and confidence that it’s what my dad would’ve wanted, I decided to focus on growing my life in Indy.CNU Midwest:
What do you love about your city? Brett Morgan:
I love Indy’s commitment to embracing hosting and hospitality as a part of our core identity. Downtown has been carefully shaped over the past 50 years to cater to hosting major events and clustering amenities to ensure visitors have a positive opinion on their visit to our city. I enjoy our unique neighborhoods and the quirks and cultures that they possess. CNUM:
What does a brief snapshot of your company and role look like?BM:
After spending my entire career in public service, primarily in project management and real estate development, I decided to make a move to the private sector in May 2025. I joined Meyer Najem, a construction and development firm, to grow their build-operate-transfer (BOT) program and help municipalities and other public entities deliver great projects in their communities. In addition to working on public project delivery, our team is master planning and preparing for an ambitious development along the new I-69 corridor between Indianapolis and Bloomington. I’m excited to bring some great people-focused projects to life.
Brett on a 2024 Family Trip to New York City posing with the Manhattan Bridge.
CNUM:
What project are you most proud of?BM:
The project I’m proudest of is the development of a thoughtfully curated, urban-scale, human-centric LEVEE District Master Plan, Regulating Plan, and Design Guidelines. My team spent two years identifying precedents, models for public spaces, and meeting with community leaders to deliver a robust, sustainable, development strategy. I believe this to be the groundwork that will bring added vibrance and prosperity to a great urban community. CNUM:
How did you get involved with CNU?BM:
I got involved with CNU through the precedent setting and exploration phase of the creation of our Levee District Master Plan. I have been involved with other urbanist organizations over the past decade or so and when CNU.32 was held in Cincinnati, it seemed like an easy opportunity to experience CNU firsthand. I have been enamored with urbanism and CNU’s particular focus on people ever since.CNUM:
What is your favorite CNU-related book, speaker, company, or TED talk? BM:
At the risk of sounding cliche, Walkable City, Jeff Speck. Jeff has made urbanism quite mainstream through his TED Talk, his books, his Harvard courses, and his consulting work. I appreciate the beacon he has been for thoughtful urbanism and human-centric planning.CNUM:
What’s your favorite aspect of CNU? BM:
I enjoy the connection with like-minded people focused on making their communities better places to live. My wife and children, while they love to travel, certainly get tired of me pausing and admiring great places. I’m grateful for CNU being full of people who understand why.CNUM:
Why CNU?BM:
CNU gives a deeper perspective into urbanist principles that make places thrive. Other similar organizations tend to be more developer-oriented, while CNU tends to focus on principles for establishing a special place. I think others will find value in CNU’s depth. CNU gives perspective and guidance that you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. It emphasizes the layer of humanism that is missing in so many urban spaces, in which people thrive.
[photo credits: BRETT MORGAN]
Author bio:
MK has led transformative real estate projects for 15+ years. She’s directly closed over $500M in deals and sourced over $130M in alternative gap financing for creative and historic projects. As Founder / CEO of Winter Wheat, MK guides cities, nonprofits, designers, and entrepreneurs through the complexities of real estate development. She has deep, interdisciplinary experience at every step of the real estate cycle. Her perspective is creative and non-traditional, sparking solutions to make tough, innovative deals work. She serves on the Dean's Council for her alma mater, the University of Louisville, and is an active member of StrongTowns, CNU, CREW, and ULI. She loves reading, exploring new cities, and campy B movies.