Mike McCarville, who championed Fort Dodge while serving as mayor, leader of the local economic development agency and business owner, died Tuesday morning. He was 71.

Those who worked with him recalled his enthusiasm, straight-talking approach and willingness to seek the advice of others.

“I think he was a tremendous leader,” said Jim Kesterson, the owner of Kesterson Realty in Fort Dodge.

“He was always there, willing to participate and put in a lot of effort,” he added.

Dennis Plautz, who served the community for decades in city government and later as the chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, said McCarville worked to ensure the NestlePurina Pet Care plant stayed open, then went on to help convince state leaders to locate a prison in Fort Dodge.

“I had the privilege of serving on the City Council during the years that Mike McCarville was mayor,” former Councilman John Hale said. “I remember Mike as a fabulous cheerleader and salesperson for the city. He worked his tail off to attract industry and good jobs, and was willing to go anywhere and talk to anyone to sing the praises of his hometown.

“He was a big proponent of developing the riverfront, revitalizing downtown, expanding housing, enhancing parks, fixing streets, and improving services provided by the police, fire and street departments,” Hale added.

He said that McCarville “brought a youthful energy and enthusiasm to City Hall.”

McCarville was the mayor of Fort Dodge from 1986 to October 1992, serving one full four year term and most of a second term.

He was 32 when he took office on Jan. 2, 1986, and at that time was the youngest mayor since Charles G. Blanden, who was 30 when he took office in 1887.

Plautz, who was the city’s director of planning and community development at the time, said McCarville was relatively unknown. He recalled that his first real interaction with McCarville came shortly after he became mayor when the two traveled together to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to call on some business prospects. Plaitz said that during the long car ride to Minneapolis, he realized “just how straightforward and honest he was.”

“He never wavered from that from that day forward,” Plautz said.

McCarville resigned from the mayor’s office to become the chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Area Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Webster County Industrial Development Commission.

At the time, he told The Messenger that he regarded industrial development as “the single most important thing the community should focus on, because everything else builds on that.”

In the ensuing years, McCarville was involved in lots of major development projects. Kesterson recalled a smaller job-saving effort that he said few people know about. He said McCarville saved 40 local jobs at Land o’Lakes.

“They were going to leave over some issue and Mike put together a committee of business leaders and solved the problem,” he said. “And those jobs stayed here in the community for 10 or 15 more years.”

McCarville remained working in economic development for the next 10 years. When he stepped away from that work he was the executive director of Webster County Development.

He next became general manager of RoJohn Home Improvement Inc. When he was elected mayor, he was working as a sales manager for the company, which was then called RoJohn Insulation Co.

He was a partner in the development of new townhomes in Windstone Circle on the city’s west side and in Williams Bend in the north central part of the city.

He served on the board of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and was the chairman of the board for the Development Corporation of Greater Fort Dodge.