Clare Higgins (politician) explained

Clare Higgins
Office:Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts
Term Start:January 1, 2000
Term End:September 9, 2011
Predecessor:Mary Ford
Successor:David Narkewicz
Office1:Member of Northampton City Council
At-large
Term Start1:January 1, 1993
Term End1:December 31, 1999
Birth Place:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Party:Democrat
Education:University Without Walls (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

Mary Clare Higgins is an American politician who was a six-term mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts, from 2000 to 2011. A Democrat, she was the second woman to hold the position. Higgins became the executive director of Community Action Pioneer Valley in September 2011.

Education and background

Higgins was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is one of six siblings. As a adolescent, she moved with her family to Brooklyn, New York, where her father was active in politics.[1] [2] [3] She earned her bachelor's degree in 2003 through the University Without Walls (University of Massachusetts Amherst).[4] [5] Higgins worked in early childhood education.[6]

Career

Higgins became involved in politics in the early 1990s, when she became a commissioner on the board of the Northampton Housing Authority.[2] During the same period, the city drew national media attention for its percentage of lesbians among the population.[7]

Higgins was elected as an at-large City Councilor in 1993 and held the office until 1999; she served as president of the council for the last two years.[8]

Higgins was elected to her first term as mayor in November 1999,[9] assuming office in January 2000.[10] [11] She was the city's first openly lesbian mayor.[12] Higgins resigned in September 2011 to become executive director of Community Action Pioneer Valley.[13] [14] [3]

During her tenure, she was able to secure affordable housing for residents who were at risk of losing their homes due to condo conversion.[2] [15] The city's capital improvement fund for infrastructure was greatly expanded and used for a new water filtration plant, a senior center, a new police station, and new public works facility.[13]

She is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[16] an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Higgins was recognized for her contributions by U.S. House of Representatives in 2012.[1] She campaigned for Barack Obama during 2012 as part of the bus tour "Mayors for Obama".[17] [18] She became a monthly columnist for the Daily Hampshire Gazette.[19]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Neal . Hon. Richard E. . February 1, 2012 . In Celebration of Mary Clare Higgins . 2022-09-15 . Congressional Record – Extension of Remarks . E104.
  2. Web site: Northampton Mayor Mary Clare Higgins set to leave office after near-record tenure. Fred . Contrada . September 8, 2011. . September 12, 2022 .
  3. News: International Women's Day Clare Higgins: 'Community in the best sense'. Janice . Beetle . . MassLive. March 6, 2012.
  4. News: 2007 . Our Mayors . 1 . 24–27 . Savoir Flair Magazine . 1 . 2022-09-15 . Issuu.
  5. Web site: April 22, 2022 . Highlights from the 50th Anniversary Celebration . 2022-09-15 . University of Massachusetts Amherst.
  6. Book: O'Connor, Karen. Gender and Women's Leadership: A Reference Handbook. August 18, 2010. SAGE Publications. 9781412960830 . Google Books.
  7. News: The legend of 'Lesbianville': Looking back at a city nickname and claim to fame. Greta . Jochem. May 3, 2019 . Daily Hampshire Gazette . September 12, 2022.
  8. Book: Breaking the Wave: Women, Their Organizations, and Feminism, 1945–1985. Kathleen A.. Laughlin. Jacqueline. Castledine. December 6, 2012. Routledge. 9781136909221 . Google Books.
  9. Web site: Forum brings together all living Northampton mayors. Fred. Contrada. December 23, 2015. MassLive.com . September 12, 2022.
  10. Book: Ghaziani, Amin. There Goes the Gayborhood?. August 10, 2014. Princeton University Press. 9781400850174 . Google Books.
  11. Web site: Friends and foes credit departing Northampton Mayor Mary Clare Higgins with a job well done. Fred Contrada . Contrada. April 20, 2011. MassLive.com.
  12. News: Mary Clare Higgins. Valley Advocate. Advocate Staff. October 15, 2008 . September 12, 2022.
  13. Web site: Mary Clare Higgins to resign as mayor of Northampton; City Council President David Narkewicz to become acting mayor. Fred Contrada . Contrada. April 13, 2011. MassLive.com.
  14. Web site: Narkewicz looks back on decade as mayor of Northampton. Ryan. Feyre. December 15, 2021. Reminder Publications.
  15. Book: United States Congress House Committee on Financial Services. Household Incomes and Housing Costs: A New Squeeze for American Families : Hearing Before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session, April 4, 2007. 4. September 11, 2007. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9780160791857 . Google Books.
  16. Web site: Coalition Members . Mayors Against Illegal Guns. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080327061125/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml . 2008-03-27 . Retrieved on June 18, 2007
  17. Web site: Mayors fire up Obama faithful. Matthew. Rink. The Independent. October 22, 2012.
  18. Web site: Parma hosts 'Mayors for Obama' bus tour, vote initiative. Mark . Holan . October 21, 2012. cleveland.com.
  19. Web site: Columnist Clare Higgins: Reflections on the Obama presidency. Daily Hampshire Gazette. December 30, 2016.

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