Rubin first visited Park City in 1978 as part of a trip with the Atlanta Ski Club.
“When I came out here, I was simply blown away by the beauty of the mountains and the town,” he said.
He and his wife Jamie moved to Park City full-time in 2014 after living primarily on the East Coast.
Rubin worked in capital markets and real estate banking before building an institutional asset management division at a small investment firm into a multi-billion dollar business that was later acquired by Credit Suisse.
He said his skills from the private sector would translate to a role serving the public.
“One of the things I learned in business was that I would never ever have domain expertise – the deep down, granular expertise that was fundamental to many of the decisions that are being made,” Rubin said. “My expertise, if you want to call if that, was in assembling, evaluating various viable alternatives, and picking the strategy and implementing.”
Rubin previously served as chair of a nonprofit called Let’s Get Ready, which assists aspiring first generation college students. He also helped establish the “Most Vulnerable Fund,” which raised over $300,000 for Summit County residents and workers unable to qualify for federal relief programs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Rubin’s announcement Thursday, Park City Council member Ryan Dickey was the sole candidate for the mayor’s seat.
“The mayorship of Park City is a very important function,” Rubin said. “We’ve been blessed with some very good people who have done it over the years. Nonetheless, to have a one-horse race did not appeal to me.”
Rubin hasn’t held elected office in Park City, but believes his position as an outsider can be an advantage. He said elevating the voices of residents is a top priority.
“I think as mayor, I can take a look at these things from an uncompromised position and help make effective decisions going forward," he said. "Park City is a very dynamic town. Things are changing. I’ve been here 11 years, I’ve seen massive change since I’ve been here. Being able to direct that change for the best outcome for all involved, including the residents, is critical.”
Rubin did run for Utah Senate District 26 in 2018, where he lost to Ron Winterton in the Republican primary.
“I’m not a MAGA guy. I am a market guy,” Rubin said. “That’s an important thing to understand, because market forces are very strong, and given what government is able to do, not to try to harness them or influence them without the realization that they’re to some degree extremely powerful, is important.”
Rubin said it’s crucial to rely on top-level experts to make decisions about the challenges facing Park City.
A primary election won’t be necessary in the mayor’s race unless three or more people file to run.
There are seven candidates for the two open seats on the city council, which triggers a primary election in that race.
An Aug. 12 primary will cut the council candidate list down to four.
The 2025 municipal election is Nov. 4.
