In January 2009, Don Plusquellic began his 23rd year as Mayor of the City of Akron. He is in his sixth four-year term. The city’s longest-serving mayor is a life-long resident of Akron who became the 59th Mayor of Akron in 1987, after serving for 13 years on Akron City Council. For three of those years, he served as president (1984-1987). Citizens of Ward 9 first elected him to council as their representative in 1973, when he was 24 years old.

Don Plusquellic has devoted 35 years to public service in a career highlighted by great leadership successes locally and nationally.

Most recently, Mayor Plusquellic has worked at the invitation of President Barack Obama as one of a select few American mayors to assist in crafting an economic stimulus plan to aid the ailing national economy. Plusquellic joined other mayors in compiling an agenda of "shovel-ready" projects - mainly for infrastructure replacement and repair, designed to put people to work quickly on ailing roads, bridges, water and sewer systems and more. The Mayor has worked with the Obama Transition Team and the U.S. Conference of Mayors to aid in the effort toward getting much-needed monies to American cities.

Don Plusquellic had been called upon for national service before - by President George W. Bush and then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge as a member of a national task force following the attack on September 11, 2001.He was credited with helping create the funding mechanism now used to ensure appropriate monies are allocated to communities.

Acknowledging the Mayor for his outstanding dedication to economic development in the public sector, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) presented its 2008 Leadership Award for Public Service to Mayor Plusquellic at IEDC's Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, October 19-22.

He was elected by fellow mayors as the 62^nd President of the United States Conference of Mayors in June, 2004 , a bi-partisan organization representing 500 U.S. cities. Plusquellic fought hard to save Community Development Block Grant funding for cities. The program, threatened with being cut, is critical for the survival of America’s urban centers.

Statewide, as the head of Ohio’s Big City Mayors, Don Plusquellic lobbied tirelessly to save the Local Government Fund, a 73-year commitment from the state government to share tax revenues with cities for the purpose of public safety and security.

Citing his leadership in working to provide new revenue to re-build every one of Akron’s schools as Community Learning Centers by the year 2018, American City & County Magazine named Mayor Plusquellic the nation’s "Municipal Leader of the Year" in December, 2003.

In 2008 and in 1995, under his leadership, Akron was twice named an "All America City" by the National Civic League.

Mayor Plusquellic currently serves as vice president of the International Mayors for Peace organization and has been named an honorary member of the international Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.

It was 1999 when Mayor Plusquellic received the highest honor bestowed on city leaders by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He received the prestigious City Livability Award for the Mayor’s leadership in the decade-long effort to create and develop Joint Economic Development Districts (JEDD) in Ohio.

The Wall Street Journal recognized the Mayor in a front-page article (5/16/00) on the importance of Mayoral leadership in America.

Among Mayor Plusquellic’s passions is public education. He has been a faithful partner with the Akron Public Schools in providing leadership and the assurance of community-wide support for the challenges the school system faces in the coming years. Under his leadership, voters resoundingly approved ballot issues to support operating and capital needs for Akron Public Schools well into the future. Additionally, the Mayor has been instrumental in the rebuilding of Akron’s public schools and in developing what are now nationally recognized after-school programs that serve youngsters in 12 different locations.

In 1998, Mayor Plusquellic asked contributors to his campaign to instead help him fund scholarships for Akron Public School students. The contributions to the Donald L. Plusquellic Foundation totaling $100,000.00 endowed the program that has awarded scholarships to the University of Akron for one student from each of Akron’s seven high schools.

Under Mayor Plusquellic, Akron has seen the construction of hundreds of new market-rate homes throughout the inner city as part of a public, non-profit corporation called the Urban Neighborhood Development Corporation. In developing housing in Akron’s historically-stable neighborhoods, more than $56,000,000 has been spent in rehabilitating older homes during his tenure. In the past 12 years, the City has partnered with non-profit and private builders to construct more than 415 new homes in Akron. And under his direction, the City has also seen the construction of eight new neighborhood community centers that provide activities and education for all citizens.

Most visibly, Mayor Plusquellic has transformed downtown Akron, which continues to experience a renaissance thanks to his leadership. As the principal employment center of the county with some 30,000 workers, Downtown Akron has produced significant increases in revenue generated from downtown businesses, which in turn have helped Akron to continue investing in neighborhoods to make them even stronger.

Tributes given Mayor Plusquellic include the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund; The University of Akron’s Alumni Honor Award; membership into the leadership fraternity Omicron Delta Kappa; Ohio Ballet’s Bravo Award; Meritorious Service Award from the United Negro College Fund and the Akron Board of Realtors Citizen of the Year Award.

Victim Assistance honored the Mayor upon its 20th anniversary, and in 1997 the Dapper Dan Club presented him with its Sports Person of the Year Award. He was also the Sales and Marketing Association’s Executive of the Year for 1997. In 1986, he was bestowed the National Association of Homebuilders Grand Award.

A graduate of Akron's Kenmore High School, Donald Plusquellic attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering and graduated from Bowling Green State University School of Business. He earned his J.D. from The University of Akron School of Law and was in the private practice of law when he was elevated to the Mayor’s position in 1987.

The Mayor has a son Dave, and a daughter Michelle and five grandchildren.