Kitty Piercy never planned on becoming a politician. Ever. She was shy about talking in front of large groups of people. She had a busy life, full of teaching and advocating. When she was first approached about running for a political office, she took almost a year to think about it. But Piercy believes in stepping up.
Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy in her office at the Lane County Public Service Building
Photo: Slava Foursa
“I have a deep sense we are all asked to things that are part of our civic responsibility,” Mayor Piercy, 71, said, sitting in her office overlooking the city of Eugene. “If people think you’re capable, try to step up.”
Piercy has been elected as the mayor of Eugene for the last three terms, a record only held by previous Mayor Elisha Large who held the office from 1932 to 1945. Her road in politics started years ago, when she was approached to run for the Oregon State Legislature.
In the early 1990s, Piercy was a school teacher for Patterson Elementary School. She kept busy advocating women’s rights, doing everything from lobbying to working booths to knocking on doors—the “grunt work.” Her work gained recognition from her district representative, who was looking for someone to fill his shoes after retirement.
“He asked me ‘have you ever thought about running for office?’ And I said, ‘Never,” Piercy remembered.
She spent the year considering it, but then it appeared it wouldn’t matter anyway—the incumbent ran again. However, after the primaries, he withdrew for health reasons, making space for Piercy once more. So in 1995 she jumped in and ran and won—and went on to win three consecutive terms.
During her second term in office, she became an assistant caucus leader. When the caucus leader at the time suffered an detached retina, she took on the role of leading floor debates. In her final term, she was voted caucus leader. In those days, three terms was the limit of service. So after her third term, she headed home to go on with her life. But her time in politics was not finished just yet.
Piercy was soon approached again, this time to run for mayor of Eugene. Once again, it was not part of her plans, but she entered the race and won.
Fast-forward ten years, and Piercy is in the second half of her third mayoral term. She can look back fondly at her proudest accomplishments and the memories she has built.
Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy delivers the 2014 State of the City Address at the Hult Center
Photo: Slava Foursa
The atmosphere of the entire city staff is one area Piercy believes she has made a positive change. When she came in to office, she said she strove to make sure everyone treated each other with respect, staff and citizens alike. Piercy said she is determined to acknowledge others’ difference in opinions while also giving them respect. She wanted to create an environment where people feel free to take risks and try out new ideas, knowing they have support.
Piercy believes that attitude is the reason the city of Eugene has moved forward to where it is today. Quoting her State of the City speech, she said, “We will take on things no one else will take on.” If the national or federal level of government won’t do something, Piercy said Eugene will step up and take on the issue themselves.
Piercy is especially proud of the way the city took initiative during the recent recession and secured federal funds, the revamping and additions to the downtown area, and her sustainable business initiative. Building strong relationships, whether between the timber industry and those who want to preserve forest lands or between different communities in Lane County, are other meaningful accomplishments to Piercy.
Of course, there are the hardships and struggles that come along with any public servant position. As Piercy knows, making policies can create uncomfortable conflict.
“Someone’s going to like [the policy] and somebody’s not,” Piercy said. So she tries not to take any hurtful comments to heart. She believes the best policy is to “listen hard to the people in your community and do the best you can do, making the best decisions to help people the most.”
Some conflict comes from a different source. The role of women in politics has changed drastically over the years, yet Piercy has seen signs that show there is still some room for growth.
She noticed some men in office were happy for her to talk about classic “woman and children issues.” Yet it was a different story when she tried to move on to their turfs.
“People want to pat you on the head and you want to show them you have just as much brains and just as much moxie as anybody else,” Piercy said.
Yet Piercy is encouraged with the amount of woman politicians, from all ranges of the political spectrum. She believes both men and women have different approaches and strengths when it comes to politics, both of which are valuable to the process.
Piercy remembers different expectations for women when she was picking a career in the 1960s. “As a girl, if you were lucky enough to go to college, you were usually going to be a teacher, a social worker, or a nurse,” she said.
Piercy obtained a degree in elementary education, which opened the door to a life-changing experience. Right after she graduated college in 1964 she joined the Peace Corps and headed off to Africa. People didn’t travel as much in those days, Piercy remembered, especially not overseas. She had hardly ever been anywhere other than vacations to her grandparents’ house. So teaching high school English in Asmara, Ethiopia for two years was a daring step.
“It felt like jumping off the face of the earth,” she said.
Experiences there helped Piercy push her limits to discover what she was capable of doing. She worked in tuberculosis and leprosy clinics over the weekends. She served on medical safaris, conducting inoculations in the jungle. She hitchhiked with friends along the coast of West Africa, winding along Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast.
“I learned if I could really apply myself, I could to pretty much anything I set my mind on,” Piercy said.
The experience compelled a shifted viewpoint on the world as well. Piercy said she went overseas with the mentality of “doing good.” However, she walked away with a completely new perspective about the wonderful cultures the world holds.
Eugene Mayor
Kitty Piercy
“I never again thought of myself as just being from just the United States.”
In 2017, Piercy will reach the end of her third term and move on to the next chapter of her life.
“As of this moment, I have no intention of running another term,” Piercy shared. “I’ve done a good amount and I need to get myself ready to not be doing it anymore.” Stepping down will mean a freer schedule, leaving more time for things like traveling with her husband. But Piercy isn’t making too strict of a plan for her future.
“I don’t know where life will lead me. There’s always plenty of work to do,” Piercy said.