Michael A. Nutter

After serving nearly 15 years on the Philadelphia City Council, Michael A. Nutter was elected the 98th Mayor of his hometown in November 2007 and took office in January 2008. At his inaugural address, Mayor Nutter pledged to lower crime, improve educational attainment rates, make Philadelphia the greenest city in America and attract new businesses and residents to the city. He also promised to lead an ethical and transparent government focused on providing high quality, efficient and effective customer service.

With the support of an experienced, professional staff, Mayor Nutter made significant progress on every pledge: homicides were at an almost-50-year low at the end of his tenure; high school graduation and college degree attainment rates increased significantly; Philadelphia added hundreds of miles in bike lanes and trails and launched the first low-income-friendly bike share system in America, called Indego; and Philadelphia’s population has grown every year since 2008, including the largest percentage of millennial population growth in the nation. He actively recruited businesses, both domestic and international, to set up shop in Philadelphia through tax reform, better business services and international trade missions. And, despite the damaging impact of the Great Recession, Philadelphia’s economy demonstrated significant growth—since January 2014, more than $11.5 billion of economic development projects have been completed, were announced or are currently under construction.

Mayor Nutter made a commitment to strong financial stewardship, vigorously managing the City through the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. As a result, Philadelphia’s credit rating was upgraded to the “A” category by the three major credit rating agencies for the first time since the 1970s.

In 2013, Philadelphia City Council passed his Actual Value Initiative, the city’s first-ever property assessment system overhaul, transforming a broken and corrupt system into one that is fair, accurate and understandable.

In affiliation with the National League of Cities, Mayor Nutter and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu launched Cities United, an initiative aimed at creating partnerships between cities, nonprofits and other stakeholders to combat violence and crime among African-American men and boys. He also served on President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Council.

In June 2013, Mayor Nutter concluded his tenure as President of the United States Conference of Mayors, which is the official nonpartisan organization of almost 1,300 U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 or more. As president, Mayor Nutter represented the Conference by strengthening federal-city relationships and promoting the development of effective national urban policy. In June 2015, Mayor Nutter completed his year of service as President of the Pennsylvania Municipal League, which brings together municipal government officials from across the Commonwealth to advance policy initiatives statewide.

In 2011, Esquire named Mayor Nutter to its Americans of the Year list and in 2014, he was named Public Official of the Year by Governing. During his tenure, the Philadelphia City government received more than 150 awards for innovative programs, good government practices and excellence.

Since leaving public service on January 4, 2016, Mayor Nutter has remained active in public policy, government and civic life. In the first three months of this year, a series of announcements were made demonstrating his continued commitment to public service and civic engagement. In January, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Mayor Nutter accepted an appointment to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. The Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) announced his appointment as Professor of Professional Practice. In February, the news media organization CNN announced that Mayor Nutter became a political commentator for the network and in March, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced his appointment as a Senior Fellow and national spokesperson for the What Works Cities program, working with mayors all across the United States. Mayor Nutter maintains active involvement in political campaigns, the corporate community and academic institutions across the country. In October 2022, the US Treasury Department appointed him to serve as Chair on the inaugural Formal Advisory Committee on Racial Equity.

Mayor Nutter is a lifelong Philadelphian, born and raised in West Philadelphia and educated at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been dedicated to public service since his youth. Mayor Nutter is happily married to his wife, Lisa, and a proud parent to Christian and Olivia.