Editor's Note: The following interview with Don Ness is one of several key regional leader profiles which will appear in our 2010 Directory of Business and Industry as well as on our website in coming weeks.

Duluth Mayor Don Ness, 36, is halfway through his first term, one marked by some of the biggest challenges since his city’s founding in 1875.

Ness grew up in a nonpolitical family; his father was a minister and his mother worked at a battered women’s shelter.

“I grew up with my parents helping people – often in crisis,” said Ness. As a grade school kid I remember having the pillars of the church community in the living room, breaking down because they had just lost a job.”

As a teenager, the Duluth mayor had little desire to follow in the footsteps of his parents, who sometimes struggled financially themselves. “At that point (in my life) I made the decision to work in finance with the end goal of making as much money as possible.”

While in college, Ness said he realized the value of service instilled by his parents also would play a role on his career path. Although he planned for a first job in management or finance, he landed instead on the staff of U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-MN.

Ness planned to work for the Eighth District congressman for two years, but stayed for 10, fully realizing the potential to address problems through public service, the mayor said.

Prior to his 2007 election, Ness served eight years on the Duluth city council, two as president. During his 2007 campaign, Ness also took a position as policy director with the Zeppa Family Foundation – a position he resigned after his November election.

While fully committed to his position as the city’s chief executive, Ness said there are drawbacks to the role. “There’s much about political life I don’t enjoy. In some ways, I’m not terribly well-suited for the public nature of this position,” he said. “A great evening is going home and playing with my kids (Eleanor and James), having dinner with my family and spending time with my wife (Laura).”

“I try to put in very intense days, but I’ve also learned how to flip the switch and not bring the burdens of the day into the living room,” Ness said.

On business:

Government is actively involved in business and economic development, but the nature of that role is hotly debated.

Ness views that role as having evolved from providing direct business subsidies to providing quality service. “We are there to support those who create jobs,” he said.

He hopes business players view the city and its staff as a “reliable partner” that works behind the scenes in business development rather than having direct involvement in job creation.

The Great Recession has revealed Duluth’s economy as more diverse than in the past, making the task of economic partner easier. In November 2009, Duluth’s unemployment rate was less than 7 percent, below state and national levels. During the 1981-82 recession, Duluth’s unemployment rate was around 20 percent. What’s changed? The local economy, the mayor responded. “I think we’ve diversified our economy and have a much stronger base of entrepreneurs and local business,” he said. “Folks are struggling, but there’s a much stronger base to build upon.”

Breakthrough medical device company GeaCom, residential cutting surface company Epicurean (formerly True Ride), and the Ikonics Morgan Park expansion are examples of entrepreneurial innovation at work in Duluth. Northstar Aerospace, which has found new markets in the wind energy industry, is another example of local business innovation at work, Ness said.

What’s ahead?

Ness is proud of accomplishments during his two years in office. An expanded street reconstruction and overlay schedule, and a 2009 state district court victory that allows the city to move city retirees to a single healthcare plan are two notable steps forward, he said.

When Ness became mayor, 450 miles of city streets needed improvements. At the previous pace of repair, it would have taken the city about 80 years to catch up. The street improvement plan implemented in mid-2009 schedules 80 to 100 miles of roadway reconstruction, and moves to a “pay as you go” system. “It’s not only important to the drivability of roads, but to curb appeal,” Ness said. “(The state of our roads) reflects how both residents and visitors alike view our city.”

Meanwhile, the 2009 court decision allowed the city to move retirees to a single health plan beginning Jan. 1, 2010. Contract language in place since the early 1980s states retirees are eligible for the same healthcare benefits as active employees. Historically, that language was interpreted to mean that retirees received the healthcare benefit in place at the time of retirement. As a result, the city was managing dozens of plans, along with costly and outdated provisions. Ness said the shift will save the city $1 million in 2010 and $50 million over the life of the benefit.

Ness plans to run for reelection in 2011, saying much remains undone for residents and the business community. “The changes we’re bringing to city government cannot be completed in one term,” he said. “I’d like to leave this office having achieved a more sustainable budget and city government structure that is more focused on our customers.”

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