Kate Gallego is sworn is as Phoenix Mayor

Kate Gallego was sworn in as mayor of the City of Phoenix yesterday.

On March 21, she took the Oath of Office to officially become the 61st mayor of Phoenix, and the second female to hold the position.

“Phoenix is the city where anyone can come and make a difference. Where everyone is welcome to start their next chapter. The fact that I’m standing here today says a lot about Phoenix, our country’s fifth largest city. If you look at the mayors for the [other] ten largest cities, I’m very different,” she said.

Gallego is the city’s second female mayor and previously served on the Phoenix City Council for District 8 between 2013 and 2018. She stepped down to run for mayor.

“We do have some challenges,” Thelda Williams, Interim Mayor and District 1 Councilwoman, said at the event. “Fortunately for the City of Phoenix, we have elected a new mayor that is quite capable, can take on challenges and I look forward to her time.”

Prior to Gallego’s time on the city council, she worked in strategic planning and economic development for the Salt River Project. She received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University.

Gallego said Phoenix is unique because it has opportunities for all.

“Growing up in Albuquerque, Phoenix was always a big city I looked up to,” she said. “Like the city does for so many visitors, it left an impression on me. So 15 years ago, after I graduated college, Phoenix was where I wanted to go to start my next chapter. As I drove into the Valley on the I-17, I was filled with a sense of optimism of what was in store for my future. I know I’m not alone in that experience. So many people come here for the same reasons.”

Gallego said she looks forward to working with other mayors in Maricopa County to bring new life to the Salt River, create affordable housing, and modernize public transportation. She believes it is up to Phoenicians to play a role in the fourth industrial revolution that will shape the future of the economy and send a message to entrepreneurs that Phoenix is the place to build a business.

“There’s still much we can do and I’m excited for what’s next,” she said.