Weber honored by city for his longtime contributions to the community

For his many contributions to the community over 40 years, Mark Weber will be honored with his own day in Eden Prairie.

During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Ron Case proclaimed June 21 as Mark Weber Day in Eden Prairie.

Weber is retiring at the end of the month after serving as the Eden Prairie Community Foundation executive director since 2013. His Eden Prairie ties go back to 1979 when he began his long affiliation with the Eden Prairie News.

Case and other council members praised Weber, who was in attendance, for his contributions to the city.

“Mark Weber, you are an Eden Prairie institution,” Case said Tuesday. “You’ve been here that long, you have earned that. I think that’s a very good thing. There’s some age and time associated with that but you certainly have given of your time and your life to service. Your life’s work has made a difference in the life of this community. So, on behalf of the people of Eden Prairie, thank you.”

Weber served as the foundation’s first full-time executive director. The city proclamation honoring him stated that, among other things, he guided the non-profit through years of record growth and is known as a trusted leader who excels at bringing people together to solve a problem.

For 22 years, beginning in 1979, Weber covered local stories for the Eden Prairie News. He ended his newspaper career in 2013 as the publisher of Eden Prairie News and general manager of Southwest Newspapers.

“If I accomplished anything in the last 43 years, and it’s a big if, it’s only because there were a lot of generous people in the community who wanted to give back to Eden Prairie, and they trusted the Eden Prairie Community Foundation to make it happen,” Weber told the council. “And before that, people who wanted to be informed and engaged, they were invested in Eden Prairie, so they read things that I wrote. And these two groups sort of carried me the last 43 years.”

In July, Greg Leeper will take over as the foundation’s new executive director. He has served the community as a volunteer coach and chair of the Human Rights and Diversity Commission.

Weber has said that he and his wife Roma will continue to live in Eden Prairie as “we explore this next chapter of our lives.”

Editor’s Note: Mark Weber is on the EPLN board of directors and a regular contributor to the website.