Name John Menario | ||
Portland city corner getting a new name
John Menario (born September 18, 1935) is an American banker, politician and urban planner.
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Personal and early life
Menario was born in Portland, Maine on September 18, 1935 to Gladys and Michael Menario. The family moved to neighboring Falmouth, Maine, where Menario studied in Falmouth public schools from grades 7-12. He graduated from Falmouth High School. He served in the U.S. military during the end of the Korean War. After leaving the military, Menario returned to Maine, where he studied public management at the University of Maine. He earned a M.A. from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.
Menario began working for the City of Portland as assistant to the City Manager in 1962. Thereafter, he served as finance director for the City and, in 1966, he became City Manager. During his time as City Manager, Menario oversaw significant urban renewal of Portland's downtown neighborhoods, including the razing of Portland's Little Italy neighborhood in favor of Franklin Street arterial. He led Portland into the Model Cities Program. After leaving the position of City Manager, Menario worked for the Portland Chamber Commerce, led two campaigns to save Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, which faced two citizen referendums seeking its closure. In 1986, Menario ran for Governor of Maine as an unenrolled (independent). His campaign focused on the need to keep Maine Yankee open. He finished in 4th and final place, receiving 14.9% of the vote.
After running for Governor, Menario began working as CEO of Peoples Heritage Bank in Portland.