Alan Webber

Webber's father was a camera salesman.{{cite web|url=https://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/3334-alan-webber-for-nm-governor |title=Alan Webber for NM Governor|website=Democracy for America|access-date=January 14, 2015}} Webber started school at DeMun School in Clayton, Missouri, and later attended Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School. He went on to graduate from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts in English. While an employee of Harvard Business School, Webber worked with faculty on Changing Alliances, a book-length study of the competitiveness of the U.S. auto industry.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pnBGAAAAMAAJ |title=Changing Alliances|last1=Dyer|first1=Davis|last2=Salter|first2=Malcolm S.|last3=Webber|first3=Alan M.|publisher=Harvard Business School Press|year=1987|isbn= 9780875841755 |access-date=January 14, 2015}}

After graduating from Amherst, Webber moved to Portland, Oregon, where he worked at a start-up political journal, The Oregon Times.{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/iss/innovators/alan-webber|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012142337/http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/iss/innovators/alan-webber|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 12, 2009|title=Alan Webber: Editor, Author, Columnist |website=Business Innovation Factory|access-date=January 14, 2015}} Subsequently, he served in the office of then-Portland City Council member Neil Goldschmidt and continued as his administrative assistant and policy advisor when he became mayor of Portland in 1972. The years Webber spent working alongside Goldschmidt resulted in Webber identifying Goldschmidt as his dear friend and mentor.{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2014/03/steve_duin_blog_neil_goldschmi.html|title=Steve Duin blog: Neil Goldschmidt remains an issue in Alan Webber's gubernatorial run in New Mexico|work=OregonLive.com|date=March 14, 2014|access-date=September 23, 2014}}

Beginning in 1978, Webber served as editorial page editor of the alternative Oregon weekly newspaper, Willamette Week, where he received an Oregon State Newspaper Publisher’s Association Award for news and feature writing.{{cite news|url=http://ballotpedia.org/Willamette_Week |title=Willamette Week|website=Ballotpedia|access-date=January 14, 2015}} In 1980, Webber and his family moved to Washington, D.C., when Goldschmidt was named Secretary of Transportation in the Carter administration. While working as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation, Webber worked on the Chrysler Corporation bailout, the crisis in the U.S. auto industry, and overall national economic competitiveness issues.{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/events/realtime/monterey/mentors/awebber.html|title=Alan Webber|website=Fast Company|access-date=January 14, 2015}}

Webber worked at the Harvard Business School in 1981 as a senior research assistant and project coordinator on the auto industry in the United States. The project culminated in a book called Changing Alliances.{{cite web|url=http://www.leighbureau.com/speakers/AWebber/ |title=Alan Webber|website=Leigh Bureau|access-date=January 14, 2015}} He went on to serve for six years as managing editor and editorial director of the Harvard Business Review, during which time the publication was twice named a finalist for National Magazine Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.bkconnection.com/users/alanwebber|title=Alan Webber's Page |website=Berrett-Koehler Publishers|access-date=January 14, 2015}}

In 1995, Webber co-founded the technology business magazine, Fast Company, where he was named Adweek's Editor of the Year in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fast-companys-bill-taylor-and-alan-webber-named-adweeks-editors-of-the-year-72913842.html|title=Fast Company's Bill Taylor and Alan Webber Named Adweek's 'Editors of the Year'|date=March 6, 2000|website=PR Newswire|access-date=January 14, 2015}} In 2000, investors sold Fast Company for $360 million, which was at the time the second highest price ever paid for a U.S. magazine.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/11/business/the-media-business-advertising-fast-company-s-new-life-in-the-slow-lane.html|title=The Media Business: Advertising; Fast Company's New Life in the Slow Lane|last1=David|first1=Carr|work=New York Times|date=August 11, 2003 |access-date=April 1, 2017}}

Webber worked as a speechwriter and policy advisor for several governors, including Massachusetts Governor (and later Democratic Presidential candidate) Michael Dukakis.{{cite web|url=http://www.the-bac.edu/experience-the-bac/news-and-events/news/honorary-degree-recipients-2012-news |title=Archives | work=The Dallas Morning News |publisher=Nl.newsbank.com. |date=June 28, 1999 |access-date= October 28, 2013}} Since 2010 he has been a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Upper Austrian Think Tank Academia Superior – Institute for Future Studies.{{cite web|url=https://www.academia-superior.at/die-menschen-dahinter#wissenschaftlicher_beirat |title=Die Menschen dahinter {{!}} Academia Superior – Gesellschaft für Zukunftsforschung |access-date=January 3, 2019 |lang=de}}

In October 2013, Webber declared his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination for governor of New Mexico in the 2014 New Mexico gubernatorial election.{{cite news |url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/santa-fe-democrat-could-shake-up-governor-s-race/article_caa2c521-0c54-5d2b-917e-84f881564316.html|title=Santa Fe Democrat could shake up governor's race|newspaper=The Santa Fe New Mexican |first=Steve|last=Terrell|date=October 25, 2013 |access-date=October 28, 2013}} Webber finished in second place, with 22.6% of the vote, trailing Gary King, who received 35% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/2014/06/steve_duin_blog_alan_webber_go.html|title=Steve Duin blog: Alan Webber goes down in New Mexico|date=June 4, 2014}}

In 2018, Webber ran for mayor of Santa Fe, as the incumbent, Javier Gonzales, was not seeking reelection. In an election using ranked choice voting, Webber prevailed, defeating three members of the city council and a member of the school board.{{cite web|author=KRQE Staff / September 16, 2019 |url=https://www.krqe.com/news/santa-fe-elects-alan-webber-as-citys-new-mayor/ |title=Santa Fe elects Alan Webber as city's new mayor |work=KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos |publisher=Krqe.com |date= March 7, 2018|access-date=September 18, 2019}} He was the first choice on 39% of ballots, but ended up with 66% of the vote after the fourth round of the runoff.{{cite news |author=Stelnicki, Tripp |newspaper=The Santa Fe New Mexican |url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/webber-elected-santa-fe-mayor-in-four-round-ranked-choice/article_09b20d92-21d5-11e8-b83d-3f01f4ec75d7.html |title=Webber elected Santa Fe mayor in four-round ranked-choice election |publisher=santafenewmexican.com |date=March 7, 2018 |access-date=September 18, 2019}}

The Statue of Diego de Vargas was removed from Cathedral Park under the direction of Alan Webber in June 2020.

{{cite web

| archive-date = 2020-07-14

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200714202042/http://santafenewmexican.com/news/article_f10f20f0-b169-11ea-8203-2722abef3f0d.html

| date = 2020-06-23

| first = Daniel J.

| language = en

| last = Chacón

| title = De Vargas statue removed; overnight attempt to move Plaza obelisk fails

| url = https://santafenewmexican.com/news/article_f10f20f0-b169-11ea-8203-2722abef3f0d.html

| url-status = live

| website = Santa Fe New Mexican

}}

During a period of pro-Palestinian protests in the United States, Webber criticized two event cancellations:

• Meow Wolf cancelled a concert by pro-Israel alternative rapper Matisyahu at the entertainment company's Santa Fe headquarters in February 2024, citing safety concerns;{{cite news |title=Jewish singer Matisyahu blames venue staffers after 2 shows are canceled amid Israel-Hamas war fervor |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jewish-singer-matisyahu-blames-venue-staffers-2-shows-cancelled-israel-rcna139171 |work=NBC News |date=February 16, 2024}} Webber issued a statement, saying "there is a significant difference between protesting the policies of the Netanyahu government in Gaza and shutting down the performance of a Jewish-American artist in Santa Fe."
• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts cancelled a planned visit by Israeli Consul General Livia Link-Raviv to the Global Santa Fe conference in March 2024.{{cite news |title=Global Santa Fe event with Israeli diplomat canceled, with hotel citing safety |url=https://santafenewmexican.com/article_4196baac-e6d5-11ee-a608-433483a88478.html |work=The Santa Fe New Mexican |date=March 20, 2024}}

• (co-author) Changing Alliances - The Harvard Business School Project On The Auto Industry And The American Economy, 1987, {{ISBN|978-0071032308}}
• (co-author) Going Global, 1996, {{ISBN|978-0670863082}}
• Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self, 2009, paperback ed. 2010 {{ISBN|978-0061721847}}
• The Global Detective, 2010, Kindle eBook
• (co-author) Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities, 2013, {{ISBN|978-1609949327}}

He has also written columns and articles for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, U.S.A. Today, Huffington Post, The New York Times Sunday Magazine and The Washington Post.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} Life Reimagined was featured in Forbes as one of "The Best New Books For Your Career".{{citation |title=The Best New Books For Your Career|work=Forbes.com |date=February 21, 2014 |author=Nancy Collamer}}

Webber received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Boston Architectural College in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.the-bac.edu/experience-the-bac/news-and-events/news/honorary-degree-recipients-2012-news|title=Boston Architectural College 2012 Honorary Degree Recipients |date=May 26, 2012|website=Boston Architectural College|access-date=January 14, 2015}}

Webber married Frances Diemoz, an architect and furniture maker, in 1977. In 2003, they moved to New Mexico. They have two children.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/alan-webber-joins-race-for-new-mexico-governor/article_7d382734-2004-5244-8e88-87d85f115505.html “Alan Webber joins race for New Mexico governor.” Santa Fe New Mexican, October 28, 2013]
• [http://www.alanfornm.com/ campaign website]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGJIp9I9gSk November 2013 interview {48:29} on Insight New Mexico]

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Category:1948 births

Category:20th-century American businesspeople

Category:20th-century American journalists

Category:20th-century American male writers

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:21st-century mayors of places in New Mexico

Category:American business writers

Category:American magazine founders

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Category:Amherst College alumni

Category:Businesspeople from New Mexico

Category:Journalists from Portland, Oregon

Category:Living people

Category:Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School alumni

Category:Mayors of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Category:New Mexico Democrats

Category:Politicians from St. Louis

Category:Candidates in the 2014 United States elections