As mayor of West Lafayette, John Dennis is the chief executive officer of the city and is responsible for overseeing operations of all the city departments. Dennis was first elected mayor in 2007, serving four terms in this role.
Educated in the West Lafayette School system Dennis went on to receive his Bachelor’s in Safety Engineering and Master’s in Criminology, both from Indiana State University. Following college he joined the Lafayette Police Department, where, during his 23-year tenure, he rose through the ranks from patrolman to deputy chief, the highest-ranking merit position. In addition, he received numerous awards and recognition, including Officer of the Year.
Dennis is credited with building strong connections between the City of West Lafayette, the West Lafayette Community School Corporation and Purdue University. He also made West Lafayette a signatory of the Mayors’ Climate Agreement, an agreement by 407 U.S. mayors to uphold the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Under his leadership, the annexation of Purdue increased communication between the city and the University, a key to ensuring West Lafayette and Purdue’s priorities are in sync. The annexation increased West Lafayette’s official population count from approximately 47,000 to almost 90,000.
We thank Mayor Dennis for his leadership in making West Lafayette such a vibrant and inviting city.