Rick Mystrom
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Rick Mystrom | |
---|---|
32nd Mayor of Anchorage | |
In office July 1, 1994 – July 1, 2000 | |
Preceded by | Tom Fink |
Succeeded by | George Wuerch |
Member of the Anchorage Assembly | |
In office 1979–1985 | |
Succeeded by | Bill Faulkner |
Personal details | |
Born | 1943 (age 77–78) Minnesota, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Children | 3 |
Residence | Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
Richard Mystrom (born 1943) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 32nd mayor of Anchorage from 1994 to 2000.
Early life and education[]
Mystrom was born in Minnesota in 1943 and attended the University of Colorado Boulder. In 1964, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. He moved to Alaska in 1972.[1]
Career[]
In 1975, Mystrom established Mystrom/Beck Advertising. In 1982, he received the Small Business Person of the Year Award from President Ronald Reagan.[2] In 1990, he sold his advertising business, which was later merged into the Nerland Agency.
Mystrom was elected to the Anchorage Assembly in 1979, serving until 1985. In 1994, he defeated Democrat Mark Begich to succeed Tom Fink as mayor of Anchorage. In 1997, he withstood a challenge from Fink, a fellow Republican. Mystrom was widely considered the more moderate of the two Republican candidates.[citation needed]
In office, Mystrom emphasized crime reduction and championed the "City of Lights" beautification program, encouraging residents and employers to ornament their homes and businesses with decorative lights during Anchorage's dark winter.[citation needed]
In the 2003 election, he challenged incumbent Republican mayor George Wuerch in a three-way race. Begich, who had unsuccessfully faced Wuerch in 2000, was elected.[citation needed]
Mystrom is a longtime advocate of bringing the Winter Olympic Games to Anchorage, and has chaired several committees to that end. Anchorage was twice the U.S. candidate for these Games (1992 and 1994).[3][4]
Personal life[]
He has two sons, Nick and Richard, and a daughter, Jennifer, with his former wife, Mary.[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ Viechnicki, Joe (2018-04-11). "Former Anchorage mayor to speak on diabetes at Petersburg health fair". KFSK. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ "Remarks on Presenting the Small Business Person of the Year Award | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Woodard, Dr Thad (2015-07-03). "Former City Mayor Rick Mystrom & 50 Years of Experience Living With Type 1 Diabetes". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ "The Anchorage Press, in Anchorage Alaska - Anchorage's Most Widely Read Weekly Newspaper". web.archive.org. 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
External links[]
- 1943 births
- Alaska Republicans
- Anchorage Assembly members
- Businesspeople from Alaska
- Businesspeople from Minnesota
- Businesspeople in advertising
- Living people
- Mayors of Anchorage, Alaska