Mayor Don Ness
Don Ness was elected Mayor of Duluth in November 2007. Mayor Ness was elected to a second term in 2011. “Own it, Solve it, Take Pride” is the new motto in Duluth city government. The Ness administration has taken on the most pressing issues facing the city including eliminating sanitary sewer overflows into Lake Superior, fixing 100 miles of streets in five Challenging the status quo, making tough decisions, and finding creative solutions have been hallmarks of the Ness administration. Despite many challenging issues and difficult choices, a 2011 National Citizen Survey showed that Duluth residents gave Mayor Ness an 86% job approval rating. A lifelong Duluthian and Hillside resident, Don attended Central High School and University of Minnesota-Duluth. He graduated from UMD in 1997 with a degree in Business Administration. After graduation, he went on to work for Congressman Jim Oberstar and Zeppa Family Foundation. In 1999, at age 25, Don was elected to the Duluth City Council, where he served eight years, including two years as Council President. During that time, he served 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 and was a co-founder of the Duluth Music and Arts Collective. Looking to the future, Mayor Ness sees great potential for the City of Duluth based on the strength of the people who live here. In his words: “We’ve got incredible leaders in Duluth, and they love this city. As Mayor, my job is to remove barriers, fix problems, and to support those leaders who are working to make Duluth a great city. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re making important progress. I’m proud of the efforts of city staff, who are committed to providing excellent service to the residents of Duluth.” Don and his wife, Laura, have three children, Eleanor, James, and Owen. They live in the Hillside neighborhood of Duluth.
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