Ralph Becker (Utah)

Infobox Politician


imagesize = 150px
name = Ralph Elihu Becker, Jr.
width =
height =
caption =
small_| office = Mayor of Salt Lake City
term_start = January 7, 2008
term_end = Current
predecessor = Rocky Anderson
successor =
constituency = Salt Lake City, Utah
birth_date = Birth date and age|1952|5|30|mf=y
birth_place = Washington, D.C.
party = Democratic Party
spouse =
residence = Salt Lake City, UT
occupation = Planner
religion =
website = [http://www.ralphbecker.com]

Ralph Elihu Becker Jr. (born May 30, 1952) is an American politician and attorney who is the former Minority Leader of the Utah State House of Representatives and the current mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Early life and career

Ralph Elihu Becker was born in Washington, D.C. to Ralph Elihu Becker and Ann Watters Becker. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973, his J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 1977, and his M.S. in Geography/Planning from the University of Utah in 1982. Becker is an attorney and planner (FAICP), who has co-founded Bear West in 1985, a planning, environmental, and natural resources consulting firm. He also is an Adjunct Professor at the College of Architecture and Planning, University of Utah.

Becker has had a career that has spanned serving in the National Park Service as a garbage man, firefighter, and ranger (law enforcement and EMT) (1971-76), Utah State Planning Coordinator under Governor Scott Matheson (1981-1985), and Salt Lake City Planning Commissioner (1988-1996). He is one of three people in Utah to be a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. His Utah legislative accomplishments include six years in Utah legislative leadership (four years as House Democratic Leader), leading the passage of the Quality Growth Act (1999), funding for trails, open space, and transit, Utah's first Energy Policy Act, and advocating social justice issues.

In November 2006, Ralph Becker announced his candidacy for the 2007 race for Salt Lake City Mayor and won on November 6th, 2007.

At noon, January 7, 2008, Ralph Becker took the oath of office and began his four year term as mayor.

External links

* [http://www.ralphbecker.com/ Campaign Website]
* [http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/salt-lake-city-mayor.html CityMayors profile]