Luke Ravenstahl became the 59th Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh on September 1, 2006, upon the untimely death of Mayor Bob O'Connor. At the time he was just 26-years-old. Ravenstahl's ascent began in 2003 when he became the youngest member ever elected to Pittsburgh City Council. After serving only two years on council, Ravenstahl was unanimously voted City Council President, a post he held for only eight-months before being sworn in as Mayor O'Connor's successor. Ravenstahl was officially elected Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, "America's Most Livable City," in a special election in November of 2007. On November 3, 2009, Ravenstahl was re-elected to a full four-year term. The 30-year-old Pittsburgh native still holds the distinction of being the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city.
During his four years in office, Mayor Ravenstahl has taken a City that was on the brink of bankruptcy to a City whose bond rating has been upgraded four times due to a fiscal management approach which holds the line on spending, establishes a "no new debt" policy and implements a pay-as-you-go capital budget. For the third year in a row, crime has dropped to 50 year historic lows.
Under Ravenstahl, there is progress, job creation and more than $4.8 billion in economic development happening in downtown alone. During a time of global recession, Pittsburgh's the City's unemployment rate remains below the national average. Citing Pittsburgh's strong economy, President Obama hand-picked Pittsburgh to host the G-20 summit in Sept. of 2009.
Under Ravenstahl, the City hired its first Sustainability Coordinator, Bike and Pedestrian Coordinator and Urban Forester. Pittsburgh is furthering its stance as a national leader in green building, a hub for clean energy businesses, and home to top environmental education programs.
Mayor Ravenstahl's plan to grow the City's new economy emphasizes development of Pittsburgh's riverfronts and fosters and feeds the City's green initiatives. With a focus on continued revitalization of the City's neighborhoods, the Mayor aims to keep Pittsburgh as "America's Most Livable City" through community and public safety initiatives. The Mayor's top initiative, the Pittsburgh Promise, provides public school students with preparation and money to pursue their dream of higher education. The innovative program is already improving the public school system and is intended to grow Pittsburgh's tax base.
Mayor Ravenstahl is a 1998 graduate of North Catholic High School, located in the Troy Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He received his B.A. in Business Administration from Washington and Jefferson College. He graduated with honors in December, 2002.
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has a two year old son, Cooper Luke.
