Mayor Dan Hurt has been a steady presence in Chesterfield’s city government for nearly four decades. He still points to the 1993 levee break as a defining moment, when he spent the night in the Valley trying to slow the floodwaters and later pored over maps to assess the damage. Looking toward the future—and all of the development opportunities in front of the city—Hurt says he approaches his role as a public servant, not a politician.
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Organization: City of Chesterfield
Title: Mayor
Age: 73
Hometown: St. Louis
Education: Washington University St. Louis – MBA & BSME
Interests / Hobbies: YMCA Martial Arts instructor: I am the head Judo instructor at the Y, and I have also taught Taekwondo.
What motivated you to get involved in this work/community/activity? My background in planning and engineering, interest in helping the community that I lived in, and being in the right place at the right time. In 1988, I was appointed to the first ever Board of Adjustment for the newly incorporated City of Chesterfield. After a year of that, I was encouraged to run for Council by a friend. Other than a short “break”, I’ve served the community of Chesterfield every year since.
What values or principles guide how you show up in this role/community? A sense of community service and a desire to use my background to improve the community. I know how to define a problem and then establish the physical and financial infrastructure to find the solution.
What’s the most enjoyable aspect? Being around to see the success of the work we’ve done over the years. This is the most satisfying.
Can you briefly share a few standout memories? The night that the levy broke in 1993 and the immense work that went into rebuilding after. The night of the flood, I was down in the Valley with other city officials filling in groundhog holes with sand in an attempt to slow the eventual 15 foot wall of water that came when the levy broke. I became separated from the group as we were evacuating, and was reported missing for several hours. Officers later found me at City Hall looking at topographical maps, assessing what the potential damage would be when the sun rose the next day. I didn’t even know they had been looking for me.
Can you share an insight about this role that most people don’t know? The mayor is the Chief Executive Officer of the City, and as such is the official head of the City for legal purposes. It’s not just about running meetings and breaking tie votes.
What’s one key piece of advice you’ve embraced? I’m a public servant, not a politician.
What’s the greatest challenge? Trying to be most things for most people. You can never be all things for all people, but you have to try. We have a large diverse community, and it’s not always easy making policy that positively impacts most people. It takes constant communication and engagement to ensure that we are creating and maintaining the community that our residents want and deserve.
Where do you find inspiration? Since becoming a father, everything I have done has been for my kids. Kids who call Chesterfield home are our collective future, and their wellbeing is always on my mind when evaluating policy.
What are your future plans or ambitions? For the City of Chesterfield, to make the Downtown Chesterfield redevelopment of the former Mall site as successful as the Valley’s recovery from the Great Flood of 1993. This needs to accomplish three goals: Add to and not detract from the quality of life for our current citizens, to make it financially viable, and to see Chesterfield continue to progress as a regional leader. A personal goal of mine? To reach a point when I can pass the baton to the next generation and relax. Ironically, this one doesn’t seem as achievable as the first. As one Councilmember recently said, “One day, we’ll all be gone from this place… except Dan.”
