Mayor Thomas Menino has named John Palmieri to head the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). He has been the executive director of the Providence, Hartford and Charlotte, NC redevelopment agencies. Palmieri graduated from Temple University in 1972 and earned a master's degree at the University of Rhode Island in 1976. Palmieri will begin work this fall and is replacing Mark Maloney, who stepped down from the BRA in January.