Tom Barrett was elected Milwaukee's 40th Mayor in 2004 and reelected in both 2008 and 2012. As Milwaukee's Chief Executive, he is strengthening the Milwaukee Police Department and forging partnerships with faith-based groups and neighborhood organizations to strengthen the community's role in reducing crime. Mayor Barrett continues to strengthen the City's economic toolkit to create family-supporting jobs and provide assistance to entrepreneurs to expand or open small businesses. He has created a number of workforce initiatives, including his YouthBuilds program which offers a comprehensive approach to education, training and employment for young adults, and his Summer Earn and Learn initiative which has placed over 12,000 students in summer jobs. The Mayor's Manufacturing Partnership connects area employers with potential employees through a unique and tailored skills training program. Through efforts that bring families together like the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative and the partnerships with United Way and community groups to reduce Teen Pregnancy and Infant Mortality, Mayor Barrett seeks to strengthen the community's moral compass and future.

Mayor Barrett has enacted his vision for a greener Milwaukee through the formation of Milwaukee's Green Team, the establishment of Milwaukee's Office of Sustainability which promotes cost-effective environmental sustainability practices that meet Milwaukee's urgent environmental, economic and social needs while enhancing long-term economic growth. He currently serves as Chair of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, an bi-national organization comprised of mayors and other local officials that works actively to advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

Barrett graduated college and law school from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was a member of both the Wisconsin State Assembly and State Senate and served five terms in the U.S. Congress. He and his wife, Kris live in Milwaukee with their four children: Tommy, Annie, Erin and Kate.