If left unattended, invasive species can grow rapidly, damaging natural vegetation and altering ecosystems. Citizen volunteers are helping make Duluth a greener, safer city through park revitalization, litter removal, invasive species intervention, and tree and vegetable planting programs. Through the Duluth Invaders program, citizen volunteers aim to control invasive plants and foster a healthy ecosystem for native flora and fauna. Citizens working with the City of Duluth assist in removing terrestrial invasive plants and help to restore damaged lands.
Duluth has been a member of the Cities of Service coalition since 2012, when former Mayor Don Ness signed the Declaration of Service. Former Mayor Emily Larson reaffirmed the city’s commitment to service when she signed the Declaration again in 2016.
Mayor Roger Reinert
Mayor Roger Reinert was elected the 40th Mayor of the City of Duluth on November 7, 2023. He brings to the office relevant experience from the private, public, and military sectors.
Reinert is a licensed attorney, and prior to taking office was the Managing Partner of Reinert & Associates. His firm provided legal and consulting work focused on local units of government and local elected leaders.
Roger also spent 18 years teaching undergraduate political science and legal courses, and graduate public policy classes. In addition to his Juris Doctorate, he also holds Bachelors and Masters in Science degrees. He most recently taught at the College of St. Scholastica where he was adjunct faculty for both the Stender School of Business and Department of Political Science at the College of St. Scholastica.
Prior to being elected Mayor, Roger also served six years in the Minnesota Senate representing District 7, which covers nearly all of Duluth, and before that served two years in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He also served five years on the Duluth City Council, where he was twice elected City Council President.
Reinert is a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and is currently second-in-command of the Navy’s largest Reserve Public Affairs unit. In 2019, he completed a one-year combat deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Resolute Support, and then spent March - June, 2020, in Italy leading a COVID Crisis Action Team for the Commander of Naval Forces in Europe and Africa.
Upon his return home, Reinert was asked to serve as the Interim Executive Director at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center 2020-2021. In the role, he provided strategic direction, management, and fiscal oversight to an organization with a $12M budget, and 500 employees. His leadership ensured the 800,000 sq ft regional asset survived the COVID pandemic.
Roger makes his home in Duluth's Observation Hill neighborhood. He is a sailor, avid runner, and licensed pilot.