Mayor Don Ness
A lifelong Duluthian and Hillside resident, he attended Central High School and University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he served as student body president in 1995 and chair of the state-wide Student Senate in 1996. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration and received UMD's Sieur de Luht award for service to the campus. At age 23, Don was hired by Congressman Jim Oberstar as his campaign manager. Don managed an operation that covered an 18-county area, the largest Congressional District east of the Mississippi River. He worked for the Congressman for nearly ten years before taking a position as Policy Director for the Zeppa Family Foundation in 2007. In 1999, at age 25, he was elected to the Duluth City Council serving eight years - including two years as Council President. As a Councilor, Don took a leadership role in addressing Retiree Health Care, Workforce Development, and Environmental Sustainability. In 2001, Don initiated the Cities for Climate Protection program in Duluth. Also prior to his election as mayor, Don served on the Minnesota Property Tax Study Group, spent seven years as chair of the Duluth Days Legislative Agenda committee, and built strong professional relationships with municipal and legislative leaders across Minnesota. His interest in community development and neighborhoods has led him to serve on over forty boards, commissions and project teams including the Duluth Area YMCA and Duluth chapter of the American Red Cross. A strong supporter of the arts, Don was festival director for Homegrown Music Festival, was a co-founder of the Duluth Music and Arts Collective, and has written scripts for Duluth's Renegade Comedy Theatre. Don and his wife Laura have two children, Eleanor and James. The family resides on a bus line in the East Hillside neighborhood of Duluth. |
Don Ness was elected Mayor of Duluth in 2007 and took office in January 2008. During his first year in office, Don has addressed the most serious issues facing the city by taking a detailed and aggressive approach to challenging the status quo. Already the City has made significant progress addressing massive budget deficits, sewer overflows, investing in public infrastructure, and resolving long - standing conflicts involving city government.