Thomas Andrew McEnery (born September 23, 1945) is an American author, businessman, and teacher from San Jose, California, who served as the 61st mayor of that city from 1983 to 1991.
McEnery attended Santa Clara University, graduating with a B.A. in 1967 and an M.A. in 1970. After his term in office, he served on the board of directors of the San Jose Sharks hockey team and continued to pursue his business and writing career. He co-founded San Jose Inside, a website devoted to the culture and politics of San Jose. McEnery was part of the ownership group for San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises, which owns the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He is an owner of the Irish Innovation Center and Silicon Valley Global in Downtown San Jose which houses and funds start-up technology ventures.
San Jose's McEnery Convention Center is named in his honor.
Biography
Early life and career
Tom McEnery was born in San Jose, California on September 23, 1945. His father, John P. "Big John" McEnery, was a member of the Truman administration and Chairman of the California Democratic Party, and an early supporter, confidant, and floor leader for John F. Kennedy at the 1956 and 1960 Democratic Conventions. Tom's maternal grandfather, "Honest Ben" Sellers, was a San Jose city councilman, mayor and leader of the progressive reform movement in the early twentieth century. His mother, Margaret was a key political influence in the life of each of the three political leaders in her life: father, husband and son. McEnery's other grandfather, Patrick McEnery, was editor of the San Jose Mercury Herald.
Attending local schools, including Bellarmine College Preparatory, McEnery earned a BA in business administration and an MA in history from Santa Clara University. His master's thesis was on Michael Collins, Irish republican and the architect of Irish independence, whose key lieutenant, Michael McDonnell, worked for his father, John, for many years. McEnery was a Presidential Fellow at Santa Clara University and lectured for two years at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He is a prime mover in the Irish Technology Leadership Group chaired by former Intel CEO, Craig Barrett.
McEnery was President of the family business—the pioneer retail and commercial Farmers Union Corporation—and a spokesman for controlled growth and downtown revitalization as Chairman of the San Jose Planning Commission and a member of the San Jose City Council. He was elected Mayor of San Jose in a landslide victory in the primary of 1982.
As mayor of San Jose, California
As mayor of San Jose, Tom McEnery led America's tenth largest city for two terms. He presided over an explosion of growth and optimism in San Jose and was rated "the most powerful person in Silicon Valley" by the San Jose Mercury News. As "the youngest big-city mayor in the country," McEnery's key goals were the rebuilding of a viable downtown, fostering economic development, augmenting the police force, and developing youth programs. During his tenure, a new tax base and a new skyline emerged.
He was reelected mayor in another landslide in 1986.
As a partner in Farmers Union at San Pedro Square
As a partner in Farmers Union at San Pedro Square, McEnery led the effort to privately restore many historic San Jose buildings, placing them on the national, state and city historic registers. San Pedro Square, which includes the Paul Masson Champagne Cellars and the Farmers Union and Lyndon Buildings, has a lively restaurant row, offices and apartments. The San Pedro Square Market, opened in the fall of 2011, is a longtime dream of the McEnery family and has been heralded as the key ingredient to the vibrant and revitalized downtown as the catalyst from the thousands of housing units and office development. Mayor Sam Liccardo has called it " The San Pedro Square Market is downtown's second renaissance." It is a spectacular historical city center amenity built around the historical Peralta Adobe and Fallon House.
The Clean Government Initiative
A reformist leader, McEnery led the statewide fight for the Clean Government Initiative, which included reasonable term limits for elected officials and campaign finance reform. In 1992, he led a coalition of community groups, city officials and Silicon Valley corporations in working on the problems of drug and gang violence.
In 1994 he ran for Congress and lost a close primary election.
From 1995 to 1998, McEnery hosted the frequently number-one rated radio show in the valley.