Mayor John Engen
City of Missoula

John Engen became Missoula's fiftieth mayor on January 3, 2006. He’d served a four-year term as a City Council member representing Ward 1 before winning the city-wide election for mayor in 2005.

Before entering public service, Engen, 42, worked for about 15 years professionally in the newspaper business in his hometown of Missoula, Montana. An award-winning writer and editor, Engen’s newspaper career began at 17 when he was invited to write a humor column for the Missoulian. He’s managed a media division for a Montana retail chain and most recently operated his own advertising, public relations and publishing company, Engen Creative. In addition, he co-owns a travel agency with his wife, Tracy.

A Missoula native, Engen graduated from Hellgate High School and The University of Montana, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

The Engens live with a greyhound and a cat in the Rattlesnake Valley.

Engen has served on a number of volunteer boards and is past president of the Missoula Downtown Association, Young Audiences of Western Montana and the Missoula Food Bank boards.