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Stephen Goldsmith

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Stephen "Steve" Goldsmith (born December 12, 1946) is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, and is the former Mayor of Indianapolis and currently serves as the Chair of the Corporation for National and Community Services. He is also the Daniel Paul Professor of Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Goldsmith is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

Political career

Goldsmith began his career in politics in 1979 when he defeated Democratic Judge Andrew Jacobs Sr. in the Marion County prosecutor's race.

Marion County Prosecutor

In 1979, Goldsmith defeated Democratic Judge Andrew Jacobs Sr. in the race for Marion County Prosecutor. Goldsmith continued to serve as prosecutor for 11 years until 1990 when the opportunity to run for Mayor of Indianapolis presented itself.

Race for Lieutenant Governor

In 1988, John Mutz made an unsuccessful bid for Governor of Indiana, calling upon Goldsmith to be his running mate. Mutz and Goldsmith lost to the Democratic ticket featuring Evan Bayh and Frank O'Bannon.[1]

Mayor of Indianapolis

In 1991, Goldsmith ran under the Republican ticket for Mayor, defeating his Democratic Party opponent Louis Mahern by a clear majority.

Goldsmith came to office with a pledge to rebuild long-neglected neighborhoods and provide better city services at lower costs. He put city services out for bid to save money and attacked the bricks-and-mortar problems with the highly touted Building Better Neighborhoods program. By the end of his second term Mayor Goldsmith had presided over $1.5 billion in new or rehabilitated parks, streets, sidewalks and sewers, while reducing the tax rate four times.[2]

Goldsmith is perhaps best known for earning a national reputation for innovations in government as he reduced the city’s bureaucracy, taxes, and counter-productive regulations, all while identifying more than $400 million in savings, which he then reinvested in a transformation of downtown Indianapolis and its urban neighborhoods.[3]

Goldsmith was a leading force in the rebirth of Downtown Indianapolis. While Circle Centre Mall began under Hudnut, it was Goldsmith who made it a reality in 1995. With the mall came myriad restaurant, bar and retail openings nearby as the number of Downtown visitors exploded. Then came the $183 million Conseco Fieldhouse, a $50 million remodeling of the Indiana Convention Center, the NCAA headquarters, Anthem's 2,500-worker offices, Emmis Broadcasting's offices on Monument Circle and Union Station's renovation.

Crowning development efforts was Eli Lilly and Co.'s 1999 announcement of a planned $1 billion, 7,500-worker expansion -- which had been sweetened by more than $100 million in city-offered tax breaks. In a study on the remaking of Downtown, Indiana University Professor Mark Rosentraub concluded that Goldsmith and his predecessors, Mayors Hudnut and Richard Lugar, were able to attract more than $3 billion in new investment to the city's core over a 25 year period.[4]

Goldsmith served as Mayor of Indianapolis for two terms from 1992 to 1999.

Bid for Indiana Governor

Goldsmith was the Republican candidate for Governor of Indiana in 1996 against Lieutenant Governor Frank O'Bannon. O'Bannon defeated Goldsmith 52% to 47%.

Chief domestic policy advisor

Goldsmith was chief domestic policy advisor to President George W. Bush in the 2000 campaign and then served as Special Advisor to President Bush on faith-based and not for-profit initiatives. He was appointed chair to the Corporation for National and Community Services in 2001, a position he still holds.

Private sector

Goldsmith is currently a Partner of Knowledge Universe, which invests in internet-oriented education companies, day care and childhood learning companies, and B2B companies, principally in business and human resources consulting and online training.[5]

Presently, Goldsmith is the Chairman Emeritus of the Manhattan Institute's (a policy research think tank) Center for Civic Innovation.

Goldsmith also serves on the boards of several companies including: Finish Line Corporation, Anacostia Waterfront Corporation, and the Fannie Mae Foundation.[6]

Publications

In addition to contributing to publications such as the New York Times, Washington Times, and Wall Street Journal, Goldsmith has written several books on government such as:

  • Governing By Network: The New Shape of the Public Sector: Brooking Institute. 2004.
  • Putting Faith In Neighborhoods: Making Cities Work Through Grassroots Citizenship: Hudson Institute. 2002.
  • The Twenty-First Century City Resurrecting Urban America: Regnery 1997
  • The Entrepreneurial City: A How-To Handbook for Urban Innovators. Editor, Manhattan Institute. 1999.

References

  1. ^ http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/g/goldsmith_stephen/goldsmith.html
  2. ^ http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/g/goldsmith_stephen/goldsmith.html
  3. ^ http://ksgfaculty.harvard.edu/faculty/cv/StephenGoldsmith.pdf
  4. ^ http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/g/goldsmith_stephen/goldsmith.html
  5. ^ http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromMktGuideIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedMktGuideId=147542
  6. ^ http://ksgfaculty.harvard.edu/faculty/cv/StephenGoldsmith.pdf
Preceded by Mayor of Indianapolis
1992–1999 		Succeeded by
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