Gary Christenson

Mayor Gary Christenson, an alum of Malden High School, has served the City of Malden since January 2012. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science, master’s in public administration, and a juris doctorate all from Suffolk University.

Since becoming the Mayor of Malden, Gary Christenson has worked in unison with residents and businesses to tackle the many challenges facing the City. He embodies the belief that we are in this together to make our community the best it can be. Gary Christenson also believes that communication is critical to a better Malden. He can regularly be found on social media sharing the great things happening throughout the city. Finally, he has been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for Malden’s vibrant and diverse community by encouraging citizen engagement and enhancing the delivery of services for all residents.

His political career began with working for the Massachusetts House Ways and Means committee from 1994-1997. He then worked at the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office where he assumed the role of budget director from 1998 to 2011. Gary Christenson was appointed to the Malden School Committee by then-Mayor Richard Howard, the man he would eventually replace as Mayor of Malden. He was encouraged to join the school committee by his mentor, James DiPaola, a Malden resident, and former head of the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, where Gary had worked for him. Gary Christenson served as a city councillor of Ward 1 in Malden for seven years after taking office in January 2004. In 2006, he was elevated to Chairman of the Finance Committee and in 2008 he was voted unanimously by his peers as City Council President. Gary Christenson was elected mayor of Malden in 2011 and took office on January 2, 2012.