Don Ness

Don Ness (born January 9, 1974) is an American politician who served as the 38th mayor of Duluth, Minnesota from 2008 to 2016.

His father was the pastor of a small, non-denominational Christian church, who also was chaplain at Northwoods Children's Services.

He founded the Bridge Syndicate, a group of young people whose mission is to increase civic, cultural, and economic opportunities in the Twin Ports.

[6] Two years after election, the national recession resulted in a cut of annual state aid by $5.2 million in 2010.

[5] In 2009, the federal government and United States Environmental Protection Agency mandated that Duluth make improvements to the city's sewer system, which was estimated to cost $130 million.

[11] Duluth has also been referred to as an "aviation hub", with companies like AAR Corp and Cirrus Aircraft contributing to the city's economy.

[12] Since 1987, the Saint Louis River has been listed as an area of concern by the EPA due to many years of pollution from industrial and landfill sites.

[14] In 2009, Mayor Ness organized a St. Louis River Corridor Summit and brought over 70 stakeholders together to develop a comprehensive vision for the area.

[17] Active in community organizations, Laura Ness has run for county commissioner, and had prominent roles on two election campaigns.

She was also co-owner of Green Home Solutions of Duluth, a mold remediation and air quality company.