Levitan grew up in Long Island, New York, the son of David M. Levitan[1] and Judith Morley Levitan.[2] Levitan graduated from New College of Florida[3]
Levitan was hired by the Capital Times as a part-time Washington correspondent in 1975,[4] after a visit to Madison while following presidential candidate Fred Harris. In 1976, Levitan joined the Capital Times fulltime in Madison.[5] In 1977, Levitan left the Capital Times due to the strike by the Printer's Union (which would last for 5 years[6]) and joined the Madison Press Connection, a paper formed by striking workers. Levitan later left the paper and enrolled in law school, afterwards joining the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission as a staff attorney, where he served until retiring in early 2015.[7]
Levitan was elected to the Dane County Board of Supervisors in 1982 from the Fourth District, serving five years.
Beginning in 1983, Levitan served on a number of boards, committees, and commissions in local government, including the Civic Center Commission, the Madison Zoning Board of Appeals, the State Street Oversight Committee, the Madison Plan Commission, and the Community Development Authority.
Levtian was appointed to the Madison Landmarks Commission in 2007, and served until 2019, much of it as Chair of the commission.[8] While Levitan served on the commission, major issues that came before the commission included the Edgewater Hotel Redevelopment[9] and the removal of the cenotaph at the Confederate Rest section of Forest Hill Cemetery.[10]
Levitan ran for Secretary of State in 1990, and for State Senate against incumbent Fred Risser in 1996.[11]
Levitan hosted ”Books And Beats” on The Mic 92.1 which was described as a show of "‘long form’ interviews with performers and especially authors.".[12] Since 2006, he has hosted “Access: City Hall”, a television show on the Madison City Channel that interviews local officials and newsmakers in Madison.[13] Levitan is the Vice President of the Board of Directors of WORT-FM, a community radio station in Madison.[14]
Levitan Lane, on Madison's far east side, is named for him.
