Meet Mayor Jenny Wilson
Jenny Wilson has served as mayor of Salt Lake County since January 2019.
After taking office, Jenny reorganized the County government to boost its resilience and deliver better results for County residents. Among the first changes: creating an Office of Environmental Services to expand the County’s work around air quality and environmental issues.
She also cut her office’s budget by 14 percent in her first year.
Jenny has not shied away from making tough decisions to protect the County and its 1.1 million residents from harm. Facing a $25 million budget shortfall driven by growing inflation last year, Jenny increased funding for domestic-violence prevention and successfully protected the County’s health department, senior and recreation centers — all while preserving the county’s critical AAA bond rating. Salt Lake County would be in a significantly worse position as we battle COVID-19 and now move to economic recovery had Jenny not made those difficult choices.
Upon the onset of the COVID-19 virus in Salt Lake, Jenny moved quickly and decisively to develop systems and enact policies to protect the welfare of the County’s residents. She continues to support the critical work of the County’s Health Department while focusing intently on our economic recovery.
Jenny Wilson is a committed leader for challenging times.
Jenny was twice elected to an at-large seat on the Salt Lake County Council before becoming mayor, serving for 10 years and developing a mastery of the ins-and-outs of county government. She was the first woman to serve on the County Council when elected in 2004.
On the Council, Jenny earned a reputation for putting people above partisan politics. She forged consensus on issues affecting the daily lives of county residents. Jenny led numerous policy initiatives, including equality for LGBTQ individuals; ethics reform; protecting Utah’s canyons, trails and waterways; confronting the opioid crisis; and criminal justice reform – all while keeping the County budget balanced. Jenny has been an advocate for women’s interests, minority communities, the under-served and those with disabilities.
Jenny’s work in the private sector and nonprofit community has made her a better public servant. Work for the Sundance organization, Voices for Utah Children, the University of Utah’s Moran Eye Center, and the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games have given Jenny a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the County and the state. Jenny also served in Washington as the chief of staff to former U.S. Congressman Bill Orton, giving her experience with the federal government that she puts to work for Salt Lake County every day.
A fifth-generation Utahn, Jenny is a graduate of Salt Lake City’s East High School, the University of Utah, and later earned a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She is the daughter of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson and Kathy Wilson, an artist and small business owner.
Jenny and her husband are raising two teenage sons and a rescue dog, Puddles.
