Don Plusquellic

Plusquellic was born in Akron, Ohio, on July 3, 1949.{{cite book|title=Who's Who in the Midwest, 1996-1997|location=Wilmette, Ill.|publisher=Marquis Who's Who|date=1996|page=504|isbn=9780837907260}} He graduated from Kenmore High School in Akron,{{cite web| url=http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/akron_mayor.html| title=Mayor of Akron (Ohio)|website=City Mayors.com|access-date=February 2, 2009}} and enrolled at the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh before switching to the Bowling Green State University College of Business Administration, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1972. He played football at Bowling Green.{{Cite web|url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/article/20150530/NEWS/305309496|title = Bob Dyer: Plusquellic was a football stud}} He later received his JD from the University of Akron School of Law in 1982, and went into private practice. He continued to practice law after being elected to the Akron City Council, but ceased after being elected Mayor of Akron in 1987.{{cite web| url=http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/mayor/bio.htm| title=Office of the Mayor (Bio)| website=City of Akron, Ohio| access-date=February 2, 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220232252/http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/mayor/bio.htm| archive-date=December 20, 2008| url-status=dead}}

Plusquellic married the former Mary Goffee in 1972, and they had a son, David, and a daughter, Michelle. The couple divorced in 2007. Mary Plusquellic, a drug and alcohol counselor, died of cardiac problems at her home in July 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/mary-plusquellic-dead-from-apparent-natural-causes-1.414346| title=Mary Plusquellic dead from apparent natural causes|work=Akron Beacon Journal|date=July 19, 2013|access-date=May 8, 2015}}

Plusquellic was the President of the United States Conference of Mayors during 2004. Plusquellic currently serves as vice president of the International Mayors for Peace organization. He is well known as an architect of the Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) program in Ohio, and he is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,{{cite web|url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |title=Coalition Members |website=Mayors Against Illegal Guns |access-date=June 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070306180747/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |archive-date=March 6, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }} a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Thomas Menino, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Columbus, Ohio Mayor Michael B. Coleman.

Throughout his tenure as mayor, Plusquellic often suggested bold, outsize ideas which energized his supporters. He proposed leasing the city water system to a contractor and using the payments to pay college tuition cost for Akron residents, suggested forming a city-owned construction company to bid on projects and generate revenue for the town, and advocated construction of a baseball stadium at a time when there was little to no support for it. (This stadium, Canal Park, was completed in 1997.)

Plusquellic also focused on more mundane issues, such as encouraging large employers to stay in Akron and successfully advocating for an income tax increase to boost school renovation and construction.

Critics accused Plusquellic of abusing his power. In July 2005, he argued with a downtown Akron parking attendant, and threatened to revoke the business license of the attendant's employer if the attendant was not fired (the company complied).{{cite news|title=Parking Lot Worker Enrages Plusquellic|work=Akron Beacon Journal|date=July 25, 2005|page=B1|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|title=Valet Fired After Row With Mayor|work=Akron Beacon Journal|date=July 27, 2005|page=B1|postscript=none}}; {{cite web|url=http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/News_Releases/2005/0808.html|title=Akron: News Releases 2005: An Open Letter to the Public From Mayor Don Plusquellic|website=City of Akron, Ohio|date=August 8, 2005|access-date=May 8, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215182157/http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/News_Releases/2005/0808.html|archive-date=February 15, 2012|df=mdy-all}} Plusquellic later apologized, and surrendered a day's pay to the city.{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2015/05/akron_mayor_don_plusquellics_d.html|last=Naymik|first=Mark|title=Plusquellic's departure is long overdue|work=Cleveland Plain-Dealer|date=May 9, 2015|access-date=May 9, 2015|page=A8}} Cleveland Plain-Dealer columnist Mark Naymik criticized Plusquellic for engaging in "ego-driven politics" that won him re-election and notice from the press but which did little for Akron, allowing the city's finances to decline.

President Barack Obama selected Plusquellic to work with a team of mayors from across America to work on solving the 2008 financial crisis at the local level. In February 2009, Plusquellic was one of 20 mayors who went to Washington, D.C., to discuss committing stimulus money to go directly to city governments to fund infrastructure.{{cite news|url=http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/akrons_don_plusquellic_adds_vo.html|last=Johnston|first=Laura|title=Akron's Don Plusquellic adds voice to mayors' plea for economic stimulus money|work=Cleveland Plain-Dealer|date=December 8, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2015}}

A campaign to recall the mayor was initiated in March 2009. In a special election in June 2009, Plusquellic was kept by a vote of 20,500 to 7,200 with almost 99 percent of precincts reporting.{{cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2009/06/24/metrobrfs24_0624_ART_06-24-09_B3_OJE9918.html| title=Voters reject recall; mayor can keep his job|work=Columbus Dispatch|date=June 24, 2009|access-date=March 21, 2014}}

Plusquellic led a delegation from Akron to meet with representatives of Mekorot, the Israeli water company, in 2012. The meeting led to an announcement that Mekorot would be opening its first U.S. office in Akron through Akron's Global Business Accelerator. The office will coordinate information exchange relating to water security, water technology and energy technology, with an ultimate objective of commercializing joint ventures, creating jobs, and developing the economy.{{cite news|last=Downing|first=Bob|title=Israeli water company to open first U.S. office in Akron|url=http://www.ohio.com/news/local-news/israeli-water-company-to-open-first-u-s-office-in-akron-1.266769|access-date=February 26, 2012|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|date=February 24, 2012}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081220232252/http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/mayor/bio.htm Mayor's Biography at Official Akron Website]
• {{C-SPAN|53418}}

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{{s-bef|before=Thomas C. Sawyer}}

{{s-ttl|title=Mayor of Akron, Ohio|years=1987–2015}}

{{s-aft|after=Garry Moneypenny}}

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Category:1949 births

Category:Living people

Category:Mayors of Akron, Ohio

Category:Ohio Democrats

Category:Ohio city council members

Category:Bowling Green State University alumni

Category:University of Akron alumni

Category:Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors

Category:Bowling Green Falcons football players