Preston Daniels facts for kids

Preston A. Daniels is an important American politician. He made history by becoming the first African-American mayor of Des Moines, Iowa.

Early Life and Education

Preston Daniels served in the United States Army for four years. He reached the rank of sergeant, which is a leadership position. After his military service, he went to Drake University. There, he earned two degrees: one in psychology and another in health science. Later, he started his career at Employee and Family Resources (EFR) in Des Moines.

Political Career

Before becoming mayor, Preston Daniels was a member of the Des Moines City Council. He served on the council from November 1991 until he was elected mayor.

Daniels first became mayor in November 1997. This was after a special election. In November 1999, he was elected again for a full four-year term. While he was mayor, he also hosted a local radio show. He decided not to run for re-election again. He finished his term in January 2004. Frank Cownie became the next mayor after him.

Later Work

After leaving his job as mayor, Daniels continued to work for the community. He became the Program Director and Diversity Consultant for Employee and Family Resources' Court and Community programs.

In 2009, the governor of Iowa, Chet Culver, chose Daniels for an important role. He was appointed as the director of the Iowa Department of Human Rights. This department works to protect the rights of people in Iowa. He served in this position until 2011.