'A strong advocate for Mesa': Keno Hawker, former Mesa mayor and City Council member, dies at 76

Keno Hawker, the former mayor of Mesa, has died at age 76, according to a statement released Oct. 21 by city officials.

Hawker was first elected to the Mesa City Council in 1986 and served 10 years. He also served two consecutive terms as mayor, from 2000 to 2008.

“As a successful businessman, he used his expertise to steer Mesa through the post-9/11 recession,” the city statement said.

He was originally from Portage, Wisconsin, and had earned a degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

After graduating and then concluding his service for the U.S. Army, Hawker moved to Mesa and established a fleet of trucks for his asphalt business.

Hawker's vision for community

Hawker was confident that the city of Mesa would grow — even double — in population by 2025. In the year 2000, the U.S. census recorded nearly 400,000 residents in Mesa, which was a 37% population increase from the previous census.

In 2020, the population grew to more than 500,000 — not quite on track to meet Hawker’s prediction. But at the time Hawker was first elected to serve as mayor, Mesa was classified as one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona, and Hawker felt it crucial for the community to anticipate its development.

“I am determined to provide a forum by which Mesa’s residents can have a voice in shaping our common future,” Hawker said in a Sept. 26, 1999, column published in The Arizona Republic. “I wholeheartedly believe that the vision process should start with the citizens and end with government implementing their vision.”

Hawker's time in public service was not without controversy. He developed a reputation for contrarian discourse behind the council chamber dais.

In 1999, the Mesa City Council voted to help out sister city Guaymas-San Carlos, Mexico, by selling Mesa's retiring pumper trucks to the Guaymas Volunteer Fire Department.

The Guaymas firefighters were prepared to pay $10,000 but took the 16-year-old trucks home for only $2,000 after the council lowered the price. Hawker was the only council member to dissent, according to a March 2000 article in The Republic.

In 2001, Hawker announced the city's plans to have its police cooperate with what was known then as the Immigration and Naturalization Service to arrest undocumented immigrants. Hawker backed down after talks with the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens.

Hawker believed a stable community requires prioritizing its citizens and balancing residential housing and sources of employment.

“I will work to protect Williams Gateway Airport as a future employment center for Mesa,” Hawker said in the 1999 column. “We must focus our efforts on jobs for Mesa and avoid having Phoenix control our economic destiny."

Colleagues remember Hawker as 'strong advocate for Mesa'

"I'm saddened to hear of the passing of my friend Keno Hawker," Mesa Mayor John Giles said in the city's statement. "We served on the Mesa City Council together and he was very supportive of me as mayor. He led the city during some challenging times. He was a strong advocate for Mesa, and we continue to benefit from his leadership today."

Hawker was passionate about infrastructure, the city's statement said. He was instrumental in shaping and leading the passing of Proposition 400 — Maricopa County's long-term transportation and mass transit plan — and ensuring the success of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

He also worked toward the adoption of the 2002 Mesa General Plan.

"I was always impressed by Keno's financial acumen and vision for Mesa's growth," Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said. "Keno's leadership and understanding of city government guided me in my early days as a city manager. I will always be grateful that he gave me the career opportunity of a lifetime."

Hawker had a knack for adventure

In an interview Hawker did with UW Stevens Point for his 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, he emphasized the importance of pursuing hobbies and having fun.

"I wanted to put my toe ... in the Atlantic and the Pacific before I turned 40," Hawker said of his 2,400-mile cross-country bike ride in the interview. "And I accomplished that."

Hawker enjoyed boating, canoeing and fishing. He even rode his vintage-style tall wheel bicycle in parades as mayor.

"Success is one thing, but if you’re not enjoying it and not enjoying life’s experiences, you’re missing out," Hawker said.

Hawker is survived by his wife, Penny; and two children.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker dies at 76