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About Mayor Gregory J. Nickels
Greg Nickels became the 51st Mayor of the City of Seattle on January 1, 2002. Since then he has earned a national reputation for innovative leadership in transportation, public safety, green jobs, climate protection and other challenges facing American cities.
On February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol took effect in the 141 countries that ratified it but not in the U.S. That day, Mayor Nickels challenged mayors across the country to join Seattle in taking local action to reduce global warming pollution. More than 800 mayors representing over 78 million Americans have accepted the challenge. One in four Americans now lives in a city committed to protecting our climate by reducing their greenhouse gas pollution.
Learn more about the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, watch the video, or read headlines from around the world about the Mayor’s initiative. Rolling Stone called Nickels the “Pied Piper” of mayors for his work to protect our climate and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded him its 2006 Climate Protection Award.
After he was sworn in, the Mayor launched a 100-Day Agenda to make immediate progress on transportation, public safety, jobs and community building in his first 100 days in office. His “get it done” list was designed with one purpose only -- to make a difference in the lives of the people of Seattle. He accelerated existing programs, pushed for new common-sense approaches, and took steps to resolve complex issues.
The Mayor's four priorities are:
Getting Seattle Moving: As mayor, Nickels reorganized the City’s Department of Transportation and directed crews to fill reported potholes within 48 hours (684-ROAD). He was a key leader in pushing for a light rail system to serve Seattle and ensured that system broke ground in the fall of 2003. He led a coalition to raise public awareness and win state funding for removal of the dangerous Alaskan Way Viaduct. He began work to fix the city’s “Mercer Mess.” He led the effort to build the new Lake Union Streetcar, which opened in December 2007. His successful “Bridging the Gap” program has doubled the City's annual capital investment for street and bridge maintenance as well as new sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Mayor Nickels previously chaired the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board and was a founding member (1993) of the Board of Directors of the Central Puget Sound Transit Authority (Sound Transit), on which he continues to serve, currently as its chair.
Keeping Our Neighborhoods Safe: Seattle currently has the lowest crime rate in 39 years and is one of the safest big cities in America. On March 7, 2007, Mayor Greg Nickels released his Neighborhood Policing Plan, which outlines the City’s long-range plan for staffing patrol services. The initiative adds 154 new patrol officers --through 2012. The plan expands the City’s patrol force, providing a faster, stronger and smarter approach to protecting Seattle’s neighborhoods. It represents the most significant change in Seattle's police department in more than 30 years. The Mayor's 2004 Fire facilities levy will upgrade every fire station to survive a major earthquake and create an infrastructure to save lives in such a catastrophe.
Creating jobs and opportunity for all: Faced with a deepening recession in 2002, Mayor Nickels vowed to create new jobs and opportunities for all Seattleites. He pushed an aggressive jobs program, attracting new investment in South Lake Union, Northgate, the University District and the Rainier Valley. Seattle now has historic low unemployment. Following the 2001 California Energy Crisis, Nickels put Seattle City Light on a path to financial recovery and in 2006 proposed the largest City Light rate decrease in 35 years (making Seattle businesses more competitive).
Build strong families and healthy communities: A longtime Seattleite with a passion for local government and daily contact with the public, Mayor Nickels has worked side-by-side with City work crews, picked up litter with neighborhood volunteers at more than 75 Saturday morning Clean & Green Seattle work parties, joined firefighters for dinner at every fire station (33) in Seattle, shared coffee with police officers, and reached out to community groups across the city. In fact, since taking office, the mayor has held more than 2200 meetings with community groups. He began the City's Race and Social Justice Initiative and improved services to the 100,000 immigrants who call Seattle home. He has led Seattle's Housing First effort to take care of the neediest of Seattle's people and worked to improve Seattle's public schools.
Greg Nickels is the oldest of six children born to Robert C. and Kathie Nickels. Born in Chicago, Greg has lived in Seattle since age six. A graduate of Seattle Prep, he began his public service career at age 19 with the City of Seattle while attending the University of Washington. Greg served as legislative assistant to then-City Councilmember Norm Rice from 1978 to 1987. In 1987, Greg was elected to a seat on the King County Council where he served for 14 years.
His many public service accomplishments include working to make government more efficient by reforming Metro, protecting children from tobacco advertising, and preserving more green space. Mayor Nickels is a nationally recognized leader of America's mayors on climate protection, transportation policy and is in line to become President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2009.
Greg and his wife Sharon own their home in West Seattle. Their son Jacob and daughter Carey both graduated from Seattle Public Schools and attended universities in Washington State. Carey recently received an advanced degree from the London School of Economics.
Experience a Day in the Life of Mayor Nickels: 
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