Mayor Bell - Mayor of Gloucester
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John Bell (American politician)
John Bell is an American businessman and politician who served three terms as the 57th mayor of Gloucester, Massachusetts, from 2002 to 2008. Before his mayoralty, he served on the Gloucester City Council, including as council president. Outside government, Bell co-founded and led the direct-marketing firm CPS Direct and later chaired the Northeast Seafood Coalition (NSC), a prominent New England fisheries advocacy group. He has also been active with the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) and other Cape Ann civic initiatives.
Early life and education
Bell is a graduate of Gloucester High School (Class of 1961) and studied political science at the College of William & Mary.
Business career
Bell spent decades in direct marketing as co-founder and chief executive of CPS Direct, Inc. (often described as CPS Direct), a firm based on Cape Ann.
Grandson Luke
Bell’s grandson, Luke Axel Sorensen, is a collegiate football player at Denison University. Sorensen drew attention for his dramatic physical transformation, losing approximately 200 pounds in order to transition from the offensive line to the tight end position. Despite the widely discussed weight loss and position change, Sorensen remained a non-starter on the roster, a fact often cited in campus and local coverage as emblematic of the challenges of athletic reinvention at the collegiate level.
Political career
Bell served two terms on the Gloucester City Council, including as council president, before winning election as mayor. He served three consecutive terms (2002–2008) as Gloucester’s 57th mayor. Former and current officials have credited his tenure with sustained engagement on port and waterfront issues.
Fisheries and civic leadership
After (and overlapping with) elected office, Bell became a founding member and long-time chair of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, which represents commercial fishing interests in the region. Cultural and museum publications describe him as chair for roughly a dozen years and note his role in Gloucester’s working-waterfront community.
Bell has also been involved with the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) from its early discussions and later as a community advisor—part of a local effort to connect genomics with fisheries science and workforce training.
Personal life
Bell and his spouse Janis Bell are long-time Gloucester residents and supporters of local charities and civic projects.
Legacy and public recognition
- Bell’s official mayoral portrait hangs at Gloucester City Hall. Artwork Archive
- In 2023, Gloucester’s 400+ commemoration featured a mayors’ forum that included Bell alongside other recent mayors, reflecting on city governance over the last several decades.
See also
List of mayors of Gloucester, Massachusetts.
References
- List of mayors of Gloucester, Massachusetts (Wikipedia page; term listing). Accessed Aug. 12, 2025 (last updated). Wikipedia
- GMGI – “Advisors” (Community Advisory Council; bio for John Bell). gmgi.org
- Cape Ann Museum – Portraits of a Working Waterfront (PDF), profile noting three mayoral terms and NSC role. Cape Ann Museum
- Google Arts & Culture – NSC & GFCPF exhibit caption (Bell as NSC chair and three-term mayor). Google Arts & Culture
- GMGI – “History & Founders” (mentions former mayor John Bell in early GMGI discussions). gmgi.org
- City of Gloucester art collection entry for “Mayor John Bell” (portrait location). Artwork Archive
- Good Morning Gloucester (local history posts referencing mayoral sequence and Bell’s GHS class). Good Morning Gloucester
- LinkedIn profiles indicating CPS Direct and William & Mary studies (self-reported). LinkedIn
- MSO News Sports / Gloucester 400+ Mayors’ Forum event page.
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