Miro Weinberger

Miro Weinberger (born February 25, 1970) is an American politician and the 42nd and current mayor of Burlington, Vermont.[3] He is the city's first Democratic Party mayor since Gordon Paquette was defeated by future U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in 1981.[3] Weinberger was the Democratic Party chair for Chittenden County during the 2004 election cycle.[4] He also served on the Burlington Airport Commission for nine years, as board president of the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County, a drug addiction recovery organization, and on the board of the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain.[5]

Miro Weinberger
42nd Mayor of Burlington
Assumed office
April 2, 2012
Preceded byBob Kiss
Personal details
Born (1970-02-25) February 25, 1970
Hartland, Vermont, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Stacy Weinberger[1]
ChildrenLi Lin, Ada[1]
Alma materYale University, John F. Kennedy School of Government[2]
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Weinberger was born in Brattleboro, Vermont and raised in Hartland, Vermont into a Jewish family.[6] He left the state to attend Yale University, where he graduated with a double major in Environmental Studies and American Studies.[6] Following his undergraduate studies, Weinberger worked in Washington, DC for Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and on the reelection campaign for Senator Harris Wofford (D-PA).[7] He also worked for non-profit housing developers Habitat for Humanity in Georgia, Florida, and New York, and completed a master's degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the Kennedy School of Government.[7]

Professional career

In 2002, Weinberger returned home to Vermont and co-founded the Hartland Group in Burlington.[7] In less than nine years, his company built over 200 affordable and market rate homes in Vermont and New Hampshire, consisting of over $40 million of development.[7] His work has won a smart growth and a green building award, LEED certifications, and has involved the clean-up of environmentally contaminated sites.[7]

Weinberger's previous professional work included three and a half years with the Greyston Foundation, a community development organization in southwest Yonkers, and a short stint as a sports writing intern for the Boston Globe.[8]

Mayor of Burlington

Weinberger was elected mayor of Burlington on March 6, 2012.[3] In the election for mayor, Weinberger won the closely contested party primary against Tim Ashe and faced Republican Party opposition in the general election from Kurt Wright.[3] Weinberger won final with 57.7% of the vote.[3] He was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, Town Meeting Day with 68% of the vote over former Burlington Public Works Director Steve Goodkind. On March 6, 2018, Weinberger defeated Carina Driscoll (I) (the stepdaughter of Bernie Sanders) and Infinite Culcleasure (I) in a highly publicized election to win his third term in office with 48% of the vote.[9][10]

In his time in office, Weinberger has focused on mitigating Burlington's contributions to climate change, improving early learning opportunities for the youth, stewarding the City's financial health, leading initiatives to regulate the City's housing market, and combating the opioid epidemic.[11][12][13][8][14]

The City of Burlington became the first city in the country to source 100 percent of its energy from renewable generation during Weinberger's tenure as Mayor in 2014.[11] Weinberger and his administration have set a goal of becoming a net zero energy city within the next 10–15 years.[15] In coordination with the City's Electric Department, Weinberger has overseen an expansion in solar installations in the City of Burlington – from 25 solar arrays pre-2012 to about 160 in 2017 – as well as in electric vehicle charging stations and electric vehicle purchasing incentives.[16][17]

Personal life

Weinberger married Stacy Sherwat in 2000, and they have two daughters.[1][18][4] Stacy is the Early Education Director at the King Street Center.[4] He plays catcher for the Burlington Cardinals in an over-35 men's baseball league.[19][20] Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee is also on the team.[18]

References
  1. "Burlington Mayor Weinberger and family welcome baby girl". Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  2. "ABC22: "Your Voice"". Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  3. "Weinberger becomes Burlington's 42nd mayor". Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  4. "Miro for Mayor campaign site". Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. Jickling, Katie (January 31, 2018). "Two Against One: Is Weinberger Vulnerable in Burlington's Mayoral Race?". Seven Days. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  6. "Burlington's own Mayor Miro Weinberger | Nextup Vermont". nextupvt.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  7. footnote, Press Release Sep 20 2011 | one reader (September 20, 2011). "Miro Weinberger announces for Burlington mayor". VTDigger. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  8. footnotes, Press Release Jan 25 2012 | no reader (January 25, 2012). "Weinberger releases plan to keep Burlington housing affordable, livable". VTDigger. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  9. "Can Carina Driscoll ride an anti-Weinberger wave to City Hall? - VTDigger". VTDigger. February 26, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  10. "Weinberger wins 3rd term: 'This is what moving forward looks like'". Burlington Free Press. March 6, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  11. Peters, Adele (February 6, 2015). "How Burlington, Vermont, Became The First City In The U.S. To Run On 100% Renewable Electricity". Fast Company. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  12. "Mayor Weinberger, Community Leaders Announce Launch of the Burlington Early Learning Initiative's First Steps Scholarship Program | City of Burlington, Vermont". www.burlingtonvt.gov. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  13. Lamdin, Courtney. "Weinberger Touts Burlington's Improved Credit Rating". Seven Days. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  14. "Mayor Miro Weinberger and Community Partners Announce 50 Percent Decline in Opioid-Related Overdose Fatalities in Chittenden County in 2018 | City of Burlington, Vermont". www.burlingtonvt.gov. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  15. "Weinberger presents plan for net zero energy city, lake clean-up". Vermont Business Magazine. February 28, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  16. "Burlington Electric Launches Solar Shopper Program | Burlington Electric Department". www.burlingtonelectric.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  17. "Burlington Electric Department | Customer Service: (802) 865-7300Monday-Friday 8am-5pm". www.burlingtonelectric.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  18. "Burlington's new mayor opens up about the transition, his goals and his favorite music". Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  19. "For the Love of the Game". Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  20. "2016 Burlington Cardinals". Burlington Cardinals. Vermont Senior Baseball League inc. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by
Bob Kiss		 Mayor of Burlington
2012– present		 Incumbent
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