Missoula City Council member Jordan Hess has been appointed the city’s next mayor.
Hess succeeds longtime mayor John Engen who died last month from pancreatic cancer. Engen was Missoula’s 50th and longest-serving mayor, holding the position since January 2006.
Hess will be mayor until municipal elections next year, when voters decide who will serve the rest of Engen’s term through 2026.
Hess has represented Ward 2 on the city council since 2014. He previously worked at the Mountain Line bus service, Alliance for Climate Protection, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and until July of this year he was the transportation director at the University of Montana.
Hess was selected by the city council over five other candidates vying for the city’s top spot.
