Jenny Durkan

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Jenny Durkan

Mayor of Seattle, Washington, US

Age: 63

Jenny Anne Durkan (May 19, 1958) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 56th mayor of Seattle, Washington. She is the first woman to be leading the city in nearly a century. She is the daughter of Martin Durkan, a member of the Democratic Party, who was one of the most powerful politicians in Washington state.

As an attorney, Durkan was the chief federal law enforcement officer in Western Washington. She coordinated several federal investigative agencies and was a leader in recognizing the threats cyber criminals posed to the economy and security. She has also served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington from 2009 to 2014, becoming the first openly gay U.S. Attorney in the country’s history.

She was sworn in on November 28, 2017, with an aim to make Seattle affordable and inclusive to all.

Durkan’s main focus was to provide free college tuition to Seattle’s high school graduates, help those experiencing homelessness, and restore trust in the police department. While also delivering the city’s basic services, she was also committed to ensuring Seattle leads the innovative economy and creating new models to provide more security for workers.

Durkan was raised in a large family of eight siblings. She attended Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue. She partly spent her junior year of high school as an exchange student in London and later earned her B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1980. In 1985, she earned her J.D degree from the University of Washington School of Law.

Durkan’s leadership and achievements in her legal career have been recognized and honored with numerous awards, including the  Distinguished Alumni from the University of Washington School of Law, Seattle Municipal League’s Warren G. Magnuson Memorial Award, Passing the Torch Award from the Washington Women Lawyers, and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle’s Spirit Award.

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Jenny Durkan
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Jenny Durkan
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Jenny Anne Durkan is an American attorney and politician serving as the 56th mayor of Seattle, Washington. She is the first woman to be..
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The Women Leaders
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