Garen M. Bresnick, a longtime and well-known leader of the Home Builders Association of Massachusetts, died April 4 of a heart attack. He was 54.

A resident of Ashland for more than 20 years, Bresnick was an accomplished real estate lawyer but was best known for his work with HBAM.

Bresnick joined the organization in 1973 as its chief counsel and eventually became executive vice president. He was with the group up until the early to mid-1990s. For the last two years, he was a member of the North East Builders Association of Massachusetts.

“Garen was the homebuilders association for almost two decades on Beacon Hill, with state regulators and in the industry,” recalled Benjamin Fierro III, an attorney with Lynch & Fierro in Boston who is currently chief counsel for HBAM. “He was not just the association manager – that was the least of it. He was the general counsel. He was the chief lobbyist. He was the chief advocate.”

Throughout his years with the homebuilders group, Bresnick became a fixture at the State House. Officials from various state agencies recognized him and communicated with him regularly.

“Everyone knew Garen Bresnick,” said Fierro.

Under his tenure, the homebuilders group was successful in getting passed dozens of bills that Bay State builders favored.

Bresnick was involved with the establishment of the first set of Title 5 regulations and a critical part of the success of the construction supervisor-licensing program that evolved in the early 1980s.

On a more personal note, Fierro remembered Bresnick as a mentor who taught him the ins and outs of being an advocate and lobbyist for the homebuilders.

Paul Moriarty, a Norwell lawyer and consultant, said Bresnick was a well-liked and well-versed individual who was honest and forthright with homebuilders.

“He would sometimes tell them things they didn’t want to hear,” he said.

Moriarty, who serves on the boards of HBAM and the Builders Association of Greater Boston, often referred cases to Bresnick because he was an expert on construction issues.

Bresnick was born in Malden and grew up in Weston. He was a 1970 graduate of Boston University and three years later graduated from the Suffolk University School of Law.

At the time of his death, Bresnick had his own law practice and was active in the community of Ashland.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah; his parents, William and Betty Jo Bresnick of Ashland; his three children, Rachel S. Bresnick of Arlington, Va., Stephen J. Bresnick and Carrie D. Bresnick, both of Ashland; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Keith Bresnick and Barry Bresnick and his wife, Donna, all of Ashland.