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Mayor Kate Gallego – Phoenix, AZ
Kate Gallego is the Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth largest city in the United States. First elected in 2019 and reelected with overwhelming support in both 2020 and 2024, she is only the second woman ever elected to lead Phoenix and one of the youngest big-city Mayors in the nation.
Since her early days serving on the Phoenix City Council, Mayor Gallego has been focused on creating the Phoenix of the future—a welcoming, thriving city with good jobs, sustainable growth, and opportunities for all. Before entering public office, she worked in economic development for the Salt River Project.
As Mayor, she has led Phoenix through a period of rapid change and historic achievement. She helped secure a $165 billion investment in semiconductor manufacturing that is creating thousands of high-paying jobs and cementing Phoenix’s place as a hub for advanced technology and global competitiveness. She has built coalitions to expand parks, strengthen public safety, and modernize city infrastructure. In partnership with Arizona State University, she is driving the creation of a new medical school in downtown Phoenix, advancing the city’s role as a leader in bioscience, healthcare, and research.
A nationally recognized champion for sustainability, Mayor Gallego has made Phoenix a model for how desert cities can adapt and thrive in the face of climate change. She established the nation’s first publicly funded Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, launched a pioneering cool pavement program, expanded electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and deployed cutting-edge technology to protect access to clean drinking water. Under her leadership, Phoenix has become the most sustainable desert city in the country.
Mayor Gallego’s leadership also reflects her commitment to equity and opportunity. She successfully led the campaign to pass Phoenix’s citywide transportation plan through 2050, then the largest local government commitment to infrastructure in the nation. She has advanced equal pay for equal work, pursued criminal justice reforms, and strengthened workforce development programs to ensure every Phoenician can share in the city’s growth.
Mayor Gallego is a graduate of Harvard University and earned her MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.