Richard M. Daley has been mayor of Chicago since 1989. A former state senator and county prosecutor, he has earned a national reputation for his innovative, community-based programs to address education, public safety, neighborhood development and the environment. Daley has been named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County magazine; Public Official of the Year by Governing magazine; and Politician of the Year by Library Journal. In 1996 he headed the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Time magazine, in its April 25, 2005 issue, said Daley "is widely viewed as the nation's top urban executive."