Cities Initiative Board of Directors Announces New President/CAO
The Board of Directors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is pleased to announce the selection of John Dickert as the organization’s next President and Chief Administrative Officer. Dickert will succeed David Ullrich, who will step down from his position this summer as Executive Director after fourteen years and will continue as a Senior Advisor to the Cities Initiative. Currently serving as the Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin, Dickert brings decades of experience in local, state and federal government relations, strategy, fundraising, and coalition building.
“The work of the Cities Initiative is vital to the health and protection of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River,” says Dickert. “I am thrilled to step into this position with the Cities Initiative and work with a dynamic coalition of 128 other mayors to ensure the voice of local government is a part of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence decision making.” Ullrich added, “Mayor Dickert has been a strong force in our organization for years, and I am confident the positive presence of the Cities Initiative will continue under his leadership.”
Dickert brings a breadth of experience in real estate, consulting, development, and lobbying to the Cities Initiative, including Government Affairs Director of Wisconsin Credit Union League and real estate agent for First Weber Group. Mayor Dickert also worked for Congressional offices at the federal and state level, including Congressman Les Aspin, State Representative Dale Bolle, State Representative Jeannette Bell, and Congressmen Peter Barca. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 1986.
Since his election as Mayor in 2009, Dickert has been actively engaged with the Cities Initiative as a director on the board since 2010 and chair from 2014 to 2015. As Mayor, Dickert has been involved in numerous water resource-related organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Council and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Commission, and overseen the revitalization of Racine’s waterfront areas, most notably North Beach and the Root River.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a coalition of 128 cities from the United States and Canada representing over 17 million people who work together for the long term protection and restoration of the resource. The mayors work closely with state, provincial, federal, tribal, first nation, and non-government organizations from across the basin to protect, restore, and sustain one of the largest freshwater resources in the world.