Greg Fischer
President, United States Conference of Mayors 2020-2021
Greg Fischer was elected Louisville’s 50th mayor in 2010 and completed his third and final term on January 1, 2023.
A nationally recognized entrepreneur and mayor, Fischer brought a private-sector mindset to public service—governing with what he describes as “the head of a businessman and the heart of a social worker.” His administration led Louisville through a decade of globalism, major economic renewal, including more than $24 billion in capital investment, a pivot toward next-generation industries, and the launch of Evolve502, a scholarship that guarantees every public high school graduate a path to higher education. He is crediting with launching “bourbonism,” a hospitality and tourism movement celebrating Louisville’s culture, earning him a spot in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.
Amid the historic challenges of 2020, Fischer intensified efforts around public safety reform, racial justice, and pandemic response. Under his leadership, 20,000 residents moved out of poverty, another 20,000 into middle-income jobs, and child poverty declined by 27%.
In 2020, he was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, named Public Official of the Year by Governing magazine in 2013, and recognized by Politico as America’s most innovative mayor in 2016. Inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Fischer made compassion a core city value, helping Louisville earn designation as a five-time International Model City of Compassion.
Following Muhammad Ali’s passing, Fischer led the city’s weeklong tribute to its native son, oversaw the renaming of Louisville’s airport in Ali’s honor, and co-created and executive produced the documentary City of Ali.
An inventor and thought leader in leadership and organizational growth, Fischer co-founded and led SerVend International to global success before launching Iceberg Ventures and a private investment career. In post-mayoral life, he advises public and private organizations through his firm, OUA LLC.
He is a graduate of Trinity High School and Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, Dr. Alexandra Gerassimides, have four adult children and two grandchildren.
