Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
CAVANAGH, Brad
CAVANAGH, Brad. (Dubuque, IA-- ) In 2025 Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh received a statewide recognition from Iowa Mayors Association. He was named Mayor of the Year in the Over 10,000 in Population Category. The Mayor of the Year Award recognizes "individuals who have provided extraordinary public service to their community, the Iowa League of Cities, Iowa Mayors Association and local government," according to a news release. (1) Cavanagh was elected Mayor in November 2021. Previously, he served on the Dubuque City Council beginning in 2019 representing the city’s Fourth Ward.
Cavanagh was a small business owner and social worker with over twenty years of practice experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in social work from Saint Louis University. From 2010-2021, he taught at LORAS COLLEGE in Dubuque as an associate professor of social work and owned and operated a fair trade store in downtown Dubuque. Brad and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons.
Brad is a Dubuque native and served his hometown since returning to Dubuque in 2008. Prior to his election to City Council, he was a member of the Dubuque Housing Commission, Vice Chairman of the Dubuque County Food Policy Council, board member for the Fountain of Youth, Chair of the Guiding Coalition for the City’s Circles Initiative, and was a co-founder of RESOURCES UNITE. As Mayor, Brad served on the boards of DUBUQUE INITIATIVES, DUBUQUE RACING ASSOCIATION (DRA), GREATER DUBUQUE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Travel Dubuque, the DUBUQUE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, DBQ Air, and chaired the DUBUQUE METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY. He also served as the 2024-2025 President of the Iowa League of Cities and was an active member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. (2)
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Source:
1. "Dubuque Mayor Wins Statewide Aard," Telegraph Herald, September 19, 2025, Online: https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_4e717c4a-d482-4b1a-bfbd-4faabadef0ea.html
2. Official Statement, Online: https://www.cityofdubuque.org/2311/Mayor-Brad-Cavanagh