Alan M. Webber (born September 18, 1948) is an American entrepreneur, author, publisher, and politician serving as the 43rd mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, since 2018.[1]
After graduating from Amherst, Webber moved to Portland, Oregon where he worked at a start-up political journal, The Oregon Times.[4] Subsequently, he served in the office of then-Portland City Council member Neil Goldschmidt and continued as his administrative assistant and policy advisor when he became mayor of Portland in 1972. The years Webber spent working alongside Goldschmidt resulted in Webber identifying Goldschmidt as his dear friend and mentor.[5]
Beginning in 1978, Webber served as editorial page editor of the alternative Oregon weekly newspaper, Willamette Week, where he received an Oregon State Newspaper Publisher’s Association Award for news and feature writing.[6] In 1980, Webber and his family moved to Washington, D.C., when Goldschmidt was named Secretary of Transportation in the Carter administration. While working as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation, Webber worked on the Chrysler Corporation bailout, the crisis in the U.S. auto industry, and overall national economic competitiveness issues.[7]
Webber worked at the Harvard Business School in 1981 as a senior research assistant and project coordinator on the auto industry in the United States. The project culminated in a book called Changing Alliances.[8] He went on to serve for six years as managing editor and editorial director of the Harvard Business Review,[7] during which time the publication was twice named a finalist for National Magazine Awards.[9]
In 1995, Webber co-founded the technology business magazine, Fast Company, where he was named Adweek's Editor of the Year in 1999.[7][10] In 2000, investors sold Fast Company for $360 million, which was at the time the second highest price ever paid for a U.S. magazine.[11]
Webber worked as a speechwriter and policy advisor for several governors, including Massachusetts Governor (and later Democratic Presidential candidate) Michael Dukakis.[12] Since 2010 he has been a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Upper Austrian Think Tank Academia Superior – Institute for Future Studies.[13]
In 2018, Webber ran for mayor of Santa Fe, as the incumbent, Javier Gonzales, was not seeking reelection. In an election using ranked choice voting, Webber prevailed, defeating three members of the city council and a member of the school board.[16] He was the first choice on 39% of ballots, but ended up with 66% of the vote after the fourth round of the runoff.[17]
Meow Wolf cancelled a concert by pro-Israel alternative rapper Matisyahu at the entertainment company's Santa Fe headquarters in February 2024, citing safety concerns;[19] Webber issued a statement, saying "there is a significant difference between protesting the policies of the Netanyahu government in Gaza and shutting down the performance of a Jewish-American artist in Santa Fe."
Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self, 2009, paperback ed. 2010 ISBN978-0061721847
The Global Detective, 2010, Kindle eBook
(co-author) Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities, 2013, ISBN978-1609949327
He has also written columns and articles for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, U.S.A. Today, Huffington Post, The New York Times Sunday Magazine and The Washington Post.[citation needed]Life Reimagined was featured in Forbes as one of "The Best New Books For Your Career".[21]
