Samantha Brien, MPA

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A native of Rhode Island, Samantha (Sam) Brien moved to Northern Virginia to pursue her career in 2016. She began working at Katz, Marshal & Banks, LLP as a Legal Assistant. Sam wanted to further her career and joined the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) as a Management Intern in 2018. She received a full-time position as a Management Specialist then was promoted to Restaurant and Nightlife Liaison in January 2021. 

Sam leads the Arlington Restaurant Initiative, a national model for managing nightlife and the first accreditation program in the US to improve safety standards. In 2021, Sam was inducted into the exclusive group of night mayors and has taken a leadership role in many strategies that have over the past two years, including, “Ask for Angela”, the #BizStongArlVA campaign, and several outreach events. 

She is a graduate of Westfield State University with a B.A. in History and a concentration in Political Science. Sam also earned a Master's degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Administration of Justice from George Mason University in May 2020. She has been awarded the Faithful Servant’s Award for Civilian Employee of the Year for 2018 and the Principles of Government Service Award for Teamwork.

Sam can be contacted at, SBrien@safe-night.com