Elected Mayor of Fresno in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, Ashley Swearengin is a dynamic leader who focuses on building coalitions of experienced and capable experts to solve problems in honest and thoughtful ways. She has dedicated nearly her entire professional career to improving Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley in central California.
Swearengin took office at one of the most challenging times in the City’s history. She has shown true leadership in working to return the City of Fresno to financial health while at the same time focusing on long-term transformational efforts such as downtown and community revitalization and adult education.
Swearengin was named one of California’s top 10 mayors by Capitol Weekly, a Sacramento-based publication covering California government and politics, and was identified by the Brookings Institution as a member of the “Pragmatic Caucus.”
Before being elected to office, Swearengin led a number of economic development programs in the Fresno area, including the Central Valley Business Incubator, Fresno State’;s Office of Community and Economic Development, and the Regional Jobs Initiative.
Swearengin holds a Bachelor of Science (magna cum laude) and a Master of Business Administration (summa cum laude) from California State University, Fresno. Her husband, Paul, and she have two children, Sydney and Samuel.
