Don Plusquellic
Encyclopedia
Donald L. Plusquellic is the current mayor of Akron
, Ohio. First elected in 1987, he became the 59th Mayor of Akron after previously serving 13 years on Akron City Council. Plusquellic is currently serving his sixth term, making him the longest-serving mayor of the city.
, studied at the University of Pittsburgh
's Swanson School of Engineering
, and graduated from Bowling Green State University
School of Business
.
He later received his JD
from the University of Akron School of Law
, and went into private practice until he was elected Mayor in 1987.
He has a son named David, a daughter Michelle, as well as four grandchildren.
during 2004. Plusquellic currently serves as vice president of the International Mayors for Peace organization. He is well known as an architect of the Joint Economic Development District
(JEDD) program in Ohio, and he is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
, a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Thomas Menino
, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
, and Columbus, Ohio
Mayor Michael B. Coleman
.
Critics have also accused Plusquellic of abusing his power; in July 2005, he argued with a downtown Akron parking attendant, and threatened to revoke the business license of the attendant's employer if the attendant was not fired (the company complied).
President Barack Obama
selected Plusquellic to work with a team of Mayors from across America to work on solving the Global financial crisis of 2008–2009 at the local level. In February 2009, Plusquellic was one of 20 mayors sent to DC to discuss committing stimulus money to go directly to city governments to fund infrastructure.
A campaign to recall
the mayor was initiated in March 2009. Akron attorney Warner Mendenhall argued that Plusquellic had "dramatically misdirected the city in the last decade," indebted Akron to "an extent it cannot afford," and called his personal behavior "appalling." According to Mendenhall, the mayor was abusive to city employees, his opponents and others. In a special election in June 2009, Plusquellic was kept by a vote of 20,500 to 7,200.
Plusquellic's term is set to expire at the end of 2011.
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Ohio. First elected in 1987, he became the 59th Mayor of Akron after previously serving 13 years on Akron City Council. Plusquellic is currently serving his sixth term, making him the longest-serving mayor of the city.
Personal life and early career
He graduated from Akron's Kenmore High SchoolKenmore High School
Kenmore High School is a public high school in Akron, Ohio. It is 1 of 7 high schools in the Akron Public Schools district. The schools mascot is the Cardinals. They are a member of the Akron City Series athletic conference.-History:...
, studied at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
's Swanson School of Engineering
Swanson School of Engineering
The Swanson School of Engineering is the engineering school of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846, The Swanson School of Engineering is the second or third oldest in the United States.- History :...
, and graduated from Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
School of Business
Bowling Green State University College of Business Administration
The Bowling Green State University College of Business Administration is the business school of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. BGSU's Business Administration College is recognized as one of the top business schools by The Princeton Review...
.
He later received his JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Akron School of Law
University of Akron School of Law
The University of Akron School of Law is the law school at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, USA. Offering both the J.D. and LL.M. degrees, it was founded in 1921 as the Akron School of Law and merged with the University of Akron in 1959, becoming fully accredited by the American Bar...
, and went into private practice until he was elected Mayor in 1987.
He has a son named David, a daughter Michelle, as well as four grandchildren.
Mayor of Akron
He was the President of the United States Conference of MayorsUnited States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
during 2004. Plusquellic currently serves as vice president of the International Mayors for Peace organization. He is well known as an architect of the Joint Economic Development District
Joint Economic Development District
A Joint Economic Development District is an arrangement in Ohio where one or more municipalities and a township agree to work together to develop township land for commercial or industrial purposes. The benefit to the municipality is that they get a portion of the taxes levied in the JEDD without...
(JEDD) program in Ohio, and he is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
, a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, and Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
Mayor Michael B. Coleman
Michael B. Coleman
Michael B. Coleman is an American politician of the Democratic Party, the 52nd and current mayor of Columbus, Ohio. He is the first African-American mayor of Ohio's capital....
.
Critics have also accused Plusquellic of abusing his power; in July 2005, he argued with a downtown Akron parking attendant, and threatened to revoke the business license of the attendant's employer if the attendant was not fired (the company complied).
President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
selected Plusquellic to work with a team of Mayors from across America to work on solving the Global financial crisis of 2008–2009 at the local level. In February 2009, Plusquellic was one of 20 mayors sent to DC to discuss committing stimulus money to go directly to city governments to fund infrastructure.
A campaign to recall
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
the mayor was initiated in March 2009. Akron attorney Warner Mendenhall argued that Plusquellic had "dramatically misdirected the city in the last decade," indebted Akron to "an extent it cannot afford," and called his personal behavior "appalling." According to Mendenhall, the mayor was abusive to city employees, his opponents and others. In a special election in June 2009, Plusquellic was kept by a vote of 20,500 to 7,200.
Plusquellic's term is set to expire at the end of 2011.