Mick Cornett was the mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, having served in that position since 2004. He was the first mayor in Oklahoma City history to be elected to four terms and was the longest-serving mayor among the 50 largest cities in America.
One of Cornett's most notable achievements as Mayor is transforming Oklahoma City into a place where its serious obesity issue could no longer thrive. Cornett set about rebuilding the city around the pedestrian rather than the car. Examining the city's culture and infrastructure, he reshaped roads and neighbourhoods and put the entire city on a diet by creating a website encouraging citizens to register and track their weight loss. Awareness of the campaign took off, and whilst obesity is still an issue in Oklahoma City, Cornett has turned it into a talking point.
Cornett's other achievements as Mayor include the successful lobbying that resulted in Oklahoma City's first major league sports team, the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association, and the passage of MAPS 3, a $777 million quality-of-life infrastructure programme for Oklahoma City.
Cornett was a proponent for progressive initiatives such as rapid and mass transit, economic diversification, urban renaissance, and civic beautification. Neighborhoods such as Asia District, Uptown, MidTown, Capitol Hill, the Eastside, and others have experienced an economic revitalisation during his tenure.
He also served as President of The United States Conference of Mayors and served as national President of the Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO). U.S. Conference of Mayors. He served as Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Urban Economic Affairs Committee until 2007.
