Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh Elected President of Iowa League of Cities Executive Board

Cavanagh was sworn in to the position at the league's Annual Conference and Exhibit in Sioux City this week. He succeeds Cedar Rapids City Councilmember Ashley Vanorny.

Cavanagh's term will run until September of 2025. He has served as president-elect of the executive board for the past year. Cavanagh has been a member of the executive Board since 2020.

Cavanagh became Dubuque's mayor in January 2022 after winning election to the post the previous November. He was first elected to the city council as the representative for Dubuque's Fourth Ward in 2019. Prior to his time on the city council, he was a member of the Dubuque's housing commission, has been a member of the board of directors of both the Dubuque County Food Policy Council and the Fountain of Youth program, and helped co-found Resources Unite.

The Iowa League of Cities, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2023, serves as the unified voice of cities across Iowa, providing advocacy, training, and guidance to strengthen the state's communities. Its executive board is responsible for adopting policies to provide direction to the League, adopting the annual operating budget, establishing membership fees, and providing direction to the organization.

The league's executive board consists of 14 board director positions and five officer positions: president, president-elect, and three past presidents. All of these positions must be filled by current city officials who represent cities of various populations and geographic locations. The board meets four times each year, in addition to the business meeting held during its annual conference.