Jonathan Weinzapfel

Infobox_Politician
name = Jonathan Weinzapfel


width = 200px
height = 250px
caption = 33rd Mayor of Evansville
birth_date = Birth date and age|1965|11|16|mf=y
birth_place = Evansville, Indiana
residence = Evansville, Indiana
office = Mayor of the City of Evansville
term_start = 2004
term_end = Present
predecessor = Russell G. Lloyd, Jr.
successor = Incumbent
party = Democrat
religion = Roman Catholic
spouse = Patricia Weinzapfel
children =
website =

Jonathan Weinzapfel (born November 16, 1965) is the 33rd mayor of Evansville, Indiana. He was elected in November 2003 and again in 2007. He is currently serving a four-year term that began January 1, 2008. He is a member of the Democratic party.

Biography

He was born to Ralph and Sylvia Weinzapfel in Evansville. Ralph is currently a member of the Posey County Council and Sylvia is the Executive Director of the YWCA in Evansville. Jonathan graduated from Reitz Memorial High School in 1984 and attended Indiana University Bloomington where he received a Bachelor's degree. He earned his Master's degree from Georgetown University. When not serving in his public role, Weinzapfel is an attorney and an adjunct professor at the University of Southern Indiana.

He currently resides near the University of Evansville and is married to Patricia, with whom he has three children: Nathaniel, Benjamin, and Eleanor. Patricia Weinzapfel is a former reporter for WFIE Channel 14 Evansville. [cite web| title=City of Evansville Mayor's Bio | publisher=City of Evansville | url=http://www.evansvillegov.org/home/index.asp?page=273 | accessdate=2007-03-07]

Political career

In 1996 Weinzapfel ran for the United States House of Representatives in the 8th District of Indiana. He was defeated in a close race by one-term incumbent John Hostettler after narrowly defeating (1%) State Representative Rick McConnell of Princeton, Indiana. In the primary, Weinzapfel carried the more liberal parts of Monroe and Vanderburgh Counties, while McConnell won more conservative parts of the 8th District. Weinzapfel went on to serve five years in the Indiana House of Representatives for District 76. In this capacity he served as the Chairman of the Courts and Criminal Code Committee, the Environmental Affairs Committee and the Environmental Quality Service Council.

He also served on the Financial Institutions, the Judiciary and the Public Health Committees. His accomplishments included helping with the founding of the Southwestern Indiana Regional Development Commission. He served as the first president of the group. The Commission is representative of Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties in order to promote economic development and to improve the quality of life in Southern Indiana.

His first term as Evansville Mayor began on January 1 2004. Since taking office, Mayor Weinzapfel has focused on creating jobs and revitalizing downtown. He also started the Evansville Education Roundtable to provide a community-wide dialogue on improving education and has built a collaborative style of decision-making through his "Traveling City Hall" program.

Due to his popularity in a politically competitive part of the state, there has was some talk of Weinzapfel running for governor in 2008 against incumbent Mitch Daniels. [cite news| title=D.C. paper puts Weinzapfel on list for governor's race | publisher=Evansville Courier & Press | url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2006/dec/07/dc-paper-puts-weinzapfel-on-list-for-governors/ | date=December 7, 2006 | accessdate=2007-03-07] Weinzapfel did not enter the gubernatorial race.

In the 2008 Presidential Campaign he has endorsed Barack Obama for President. [cite news| title=Mayor announces his support for Obamas bid | publisher=Evansville Courier & Press | url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/apr/23/mayor-announces-his-support-for-obamas-bid/ | date=April 23, 2008 | accessdate=2008-05-25]

References