As the Director of City Hall Plaza Engagement, Billy Dean Thomas (pronouns: they/them) is responsible for programming events and building relationships with organizations and community members to activate City Hall Plaza. With a background in grant administration, arts equity, and program design, Billy Dean has partnered with several agencies and organizations to build frameworks that support creative placemaking and entrepreneurship for artists. Some of the organizations that Billy Dean has worked with include Mass Cultural Council, The Boston Foundation, The Theater Offensive, and MASS MOCA. 

In addition to their work at City Hall, Billy Dean Thomas is also a Grammy-nominated Hip-hop recording artist with music that highlights intersectional feminism, social justice and the impacts of displacement. They hold a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College and have made Boston their home since 2016. Billy Dean’s passion is to engage in work that has the power to initiate change using creativity.