Jackie Biskupski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jackie Biskupski
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| 35th Mayor of Salt Lake City | |
| In office January 4, 2016 – January 6, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Ralph Becker |
| Succeeded by | Erin Mendenhall |
| Member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 30th district |
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| In office January 1999 – June 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Gene Davis |
| Succeeded by | Brian Doughty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 11, 1966 Hastings, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Betty Iverson |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Sugar House, Utah, U.S. |
| Education | Arizona State University (BS) |
Jackie Biskupski (born January 11, 1966) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. She served as the 35th mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, from 2016 to 2020.
When she took office, Biskupski became the city's first openly gay mayor and its second female mayor. Before becoming mayor, she was a member of the Utah House of Representatives for 13 years, from 1999 to 2011.
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Early Life and Career
Jackie Biskupski was born in Hastings, Minnesota. She later moved to Utah and now lives in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City. She has two children. Biskupski earned a degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University.
After college, she opened her own private investigation business. She later worked in the auto insurance industry.
Biskupski became interested in politics in 1995. A local high school had a club for students to support each other, and some lawmakers tried to shut it down. This event inspired her to get involved in government to make a difference. In 1997, she was elected to a leadership role in the Salt Lake County Democratic party.
Utah Legislature
In 1998, Biskupski was elected to the Utah House of Representatives. She became the first openly gay person elected to a state office in Utah. She was re-elected six times and served for 13 years.
During her time in the legislature, she worked on many issues. In 2000, she tried to change state laws about adoption and personal relationships. She also helped start a program in 2011 called "Real Women Run." This program encourages more women to run for political office and become community leaders.
After she retired from the legislature in 2011, she worked as an administrator for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Mayor of Salt Lake City
In 2015, Jackie Biskupski was elected mayor of Salt Lake City. She won with 51.55% of the vote. She served one term, from 2016 to 2020.
As mayor, she focused on several key areas to improve the city. These included protecting the environment, helping people experiencing homelessness, and improving public transportation.
Working for the Environment
One of Mayor Biskupski's main goals was to protect the environment and improve air quality. She set a goal for Salt Lake City to run completely on clean energy, like solar and wind power, by 2032. She also aimed to lower the city's carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2040.
To help reach these goals, she worked with the local power company, Rocky Mountain Power. They agreed to build more clean-energy projects together. She also co-chaired a national group called Mayors for 100% Clean Energy, which is part of the Sierra Club.
Under her leadership, Salt Lake City opened the first two "net-zero" fire stations in the United States. This means the buildings produce as much energy as they use.
Improving City Life
Biskupski worked to make life better for the people of Salt Lake City in many ways.
Housing and Homelessness
She focused on finding solutions for the city's growing homeless population. In 2016, she announced a plan to create new shelters. In 2017, she launched Growing SLC, the city's first affordable housing plan in 20 years. This plan helped increase the number of affordable homes being built.
Transportation
In 2017, Biskupski approved the city's first "Transit Master Plan." This plan was designed to make public transportation easier to use. It included creating more bus routes that run frequently and partnering with scooter companies like Lime and Bird to help people get to bus or train stops.
Public Safety
Biskupski worked to improve public safety. She helped restructure the city's 911 call center to make it more efficient. In 2017, she ordered that police body camera footage from serious events be released to the public quickly. During her time as mayor, crime in the city decreased by 25% over three years.
Infrastructure
Biskupski oversaw the rebuilding of the Salt Lake City International Airport. The entire project was a $3.6 billion plan to create a modern airport without using taxpayer money. In 2018, voters also approved an $87-million plan she supported to repair city roads.
National Leadership
Biskupski was also a leader on the national stage. In 2018, she helped the United States Olympic Committee choose Salt Lake City to bid for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.
She also stood up for environmental protection. In 2018, she joined other Utah mayors in supporting lawsuits to protect the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument and Bears Ears National Monument.
In 2017, she joined mayors from across the country in promising to follow the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, an international plan to fight climate change.
In March 2019, Biskupski announced that she would not run for a second term as mayor, explaining she needed to focus on a family matter.
Gender Equality
Biskupski took steps to support equal rights. In 2017, she created a new city policy that gives parents who work for the city six weeks of paid time off after having or adopting a child.
In 2018, she signed a policy to help ensure men and women are paid fairly for the same work. The policy also stopped the city from asking job applicants how much they were paid in past jobs.
See also
In Spanish: Jackie Biskupski para niños
