Mayor John
Nome Mayor John Handeland
John Handeland, the former interim city manager, was appointed Monday by the Nome Common Council to fill the vacancy left by the late Richard Beneville. He will serve out Beneville’s term until October 2021, when a new election will determine who the next mayor of Nome is.
He is a viola da gamba player and conductor of the Nome Baroque Society. He has performed with orchestras and choirs throughout the United States and Europe.
Early Life and Education
Handeland grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and was raised in a Norwegian household. He attended college at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and graduated from the College of Marin in San Francisco.
His parents Ommund Karlson Tweiten and Pauline Amelia Liland immigrated to the United States in 1880, and they lived in Tacoma until 1920. They moved back to Norway in August 1920, and returned to Tacoma on April 14, 1928.
He married Delores Felling in 1948 and they lived on South Long Lake near Brainerd, Minnesota. They had three children.
He devoted his life to his family and loved the outdoors. He was active in FFA and was a fieldman for the Farm Bureau Federation. He also volunteered in several community organizations. He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Cottage Grove.
Professional Career
John Handeland, a longtime Nome resident and the city’s interim mayor since last fall, has served in many local civic positions including director of Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC), member of the finance committee. He has also served as a volunteer ambulance driver and CPR-first aid certified since 1995.
His professional voice work includes performances with the tenor soloist in Haydn’s Mass in Time of War and Beethoven’s Chorale Fantasy, the U.S. premiere of Ravalo’s La Resureccion de Cristo, and returning to Apex Theatre as Music and Vocal Director for their productions of Newsies and Fun Home.
A passionate performer of classical and baroque vocal repertoire, he has appeared with many symphony orchestras throughout the world. He has recorded over 150 titles for which he has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Classical Brit Award and MIDEM Classical Vocal Recording Award.
Achievements and Honors
Handeland was chosen by the Nome Common Council on Monday to fill the interim Mayor role left vacant when Mayor Richard Beneville passed away last month. The city ordinance dictates that an interim mayor is appointed by the Council to serve until the next municipal election in October.
He will serve the City until the end of Beneville’s term in 2021 when another election will determine who becomes the mayor. Handeland will be sworn in officially at the next council meeting on July 13th.
In addition to his work with Nome Joint Utilities, John Handeland is a classical music aficionado. His CDs have won many awards including a Gramophone Award for early music and a Classical Brit Award. He also works with the baroque vocal ensemble The Sixteen.
Personal Life
The Mayor of Nome, John Handeland, is proud to be a dog dad. He says it’s a great way to bond with his pets and make them feel loved.
He also enjoys taking them camping. They have visited all 65 Minnesota State Parks, as well as Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota and North Dakota.
He will be missed by his son, Gary of Brainerd; daughter, Kathy (Greg Blank) Hyatt of Foley; brother, Howard (Delores); sister, Marlys (Gale) Plante; three grandchildren: Rhonda (Matt), Rebecca (Kris) and Henry; and six great grandchildren: Makayla, Blake, Rilyn, Lucas, Tate and Lincoln. He will be remembered as an avid outdoorsman. He will be interred at Bethel Lutheran Cemetery, near Brainerd. He was known as a kind and compassionate man.