Entrepreneur will join race for Evanston mayor

Daily file photo by Mariam Gomaa

Steve Hagerty speaks at an event in 2012. Hagerty, an emergency management consultant, confirmed to The Daily on Monday that he was running for mayor of Evanston.

Erica Snow, Assistant City Editor

Management consultant Steve Hagerty will be running for Evanston mayor in the April election, he confirmed to The Daily on Monday.

Hagerty is the founder and CEO of Hagerty Consulting, an emergency management consulting firm located at 1618 Orrington Ave. Hagerty has not officially launched his campaign yet, saying, “I don’t want to get ahead of my skis on this.”

Hagerty served as the chair of the Harley Clarke Citizens Committee, which convened to discuss the future of the Harley Clarke Mansion, a historic site located at 2603 Sheridan Road.

As chair, Hagerty gathered information and public opinion about the future of the mansion, which has been a hotly debated topic in the city for the past four years. He led a public event in May 2015 during which five proposals were debated — from demolishing the mansion to renovating it. Aldermen decided to keep the property in city hands for the foreseeable future and pay for a limited scope of repairs.

Hagerty Consulting provides emergency relief consulting for organizations and has worked with Northwestern before to develop emergency plans. The Evanston Chamber of Commerce named Hagerty the Businessperson of the Year in 2015 for his work with emergency response.

“Evanston has a really big heart as a community,” Hagerty said in January after receiving the award.

Hagerty Consulting also fundraised with Mt. Everest Restaurant, 630 Church St., to raise money for Nepali earthquake survivors in April 2015.

Hagerty’s candidacy comes after Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl announced on Twitter in July that she will not run for reelection after serving as mayor for more than seven years.

Ald. Brian Miller (9th) announced on Friday that he is in the running for mayor.

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Twitter: @ericasnoww