Mayor's Office

About the Mayor


Svante L. Myrick was sworn into office and became the City of Ithaca's youngest Mayor and first Mayor of color on January 1, 2012. After serving the 4th Ward of the city for 4 years on Common Council, Mayor Myrick brings several different perspectives to the office.  Mayor Myrick has a deep understanding of the needs of the residents. "I am inspired by the sense of hope and willingness to get to work that is expressed repeatedly in my meetings with residents. I enjoy working with Common Council, city staff, and members of the community to find the innovative ideas that are often born during difficult economic times.  My goal is for the City of Ithaca to become a model for other cities and I believe we are well on our way!" states Myrick.

As a passionate advocate for the youth in our community, Mayor Myrick chaired the committee that created the Ithaca Youth Council. He also chaired the Collegetown Vision Implementation Committee, which led to the creation and endorsement of a master plan for promoting development while still preserving neighborhoods in Collegetown.

Raised by a single mother along with his 3 siblings, Mayor Myrick inherited his strong work ethic from his mom. A graduate of Cornell University, where he studied Communication, Mayor Myrick was a 3-year board member for REACH (Raising Education Attainment Challenge), and tutored under-served young people in Ithaca for 8 semesters. After graduating, he continued his work with local youth working as an apprenticeship coordinator with The Learning Web.

Mayor Myrick also served as the Assistant Director of Student and Young Alumni Programs for Cornell University before resigning his position to run for mayor.

In his spare time, the Mayor enjoys speaking to youth groups around the state about achievement, civic engagement, and community building. He is also an avid reader and sports enthusiast who follows the Giants, Yankees, and (with no small amount of exasperation) the New York Knicks!

Mayor Myrick on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams


Mayor Myrick's first days in office were captured by NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams. View his inspiring story.

Communications