Meet Mayor Paul TenHaken
Paul TenHaken became the 32nd Mayor of Sioux Falls, South Dakota in May 2018. His leadership has emphasized public entrepreneurship, innovation, employee culture, and fiscal responsibility. Created and established during his time in office, his One Sioux Falls framework prioritizes investments for strategic community growth through safety and health, accessible housing, workforce, and kids and families.
In 2019, Sioux Falls earned the "Age-Friendly Community" designation from AARP, a first for any city in South Dakota. Under his tenure, the city has enhanced its urban appeal with the completion of the State Theater, increased arts funding, and the launch of one of the nation’s first 5G networks. He has helped secure historic public/private partnerships for parks and development projects, all while maintaining fiscal responsibility and achieving the lowest debt per capita in over a decade.
Mayor TenHaken has prioritized public safety, bolstering police staffing, training, and resources, which has led to record drug seizures and opening the city’s first triage center for mental health and drug-related crises. He also secured $55 million for a new Public Safety Campus for training that opened in 2023 and includes a state-of-the-art Metro 911 Dispatch center. Reimagining public transit has also been a cornerstone of TenHaken's time in office through the introduction of new routes and micro transit strategies, leading to increased ridership and citywide coverage for the first time ever.
Mayor TenHaken has launched several successful community-driven initiatives while in office. The Sioux 52 Mentoring Initiative was announced in January 2020, aiming to recruit 5,200 new mentors by 2026. The first Mayor’s Youth Council was established in 2021 with a small cohort of high school juniors and seniors to make their voices heard in city government. An avid athlete himself, Mayor TenHaken founded the 100 Miles, 100 Days fitness challenge to encourage the community to get active to support their physical and mental health.
Selected for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, Mayor TenHaken has focused on innovation and gained access to a global network of municipal leaders. He has served on the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee and as Chairman of the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee.
Re-elected in April 2022 with 73% of the vote, a record for Sioux Falls, Mayor TenHaken founded a run across South Dakota called The 437 Project to promote suicide awareness and prevention. Before his mayoral tenure, he founded and successfully exited Click Rain, a leading digital marketing agency known for its innovative products and unique workplace culture.
Mayor TenHaken is the recipient of numerous business and entrepreneurial awards, but he considers his family—wife Jill and their three children—his greatest achievement.
Contact the Mayor