Nicholas Stuyvesant Fish(September 30, 1958 – January 2, 2020) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a Commissioner ofPortland, Oregonfrom 2008 to 2020. ADemocrat,Fish worked withPortland Parks & Recreation,the Portland Housing Bureau, and the Bureau of Environmental Services.[1]
Nick Fish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Portland City Commissioner | |
| In office 2008 – January 2, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Erik Sten |
| Succeeded by | Dan Ryan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicholas Stuyvesant Fish September 30, 1958 Millbrook, New York,U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 2020(aged 61) Portland, Oregon,U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relatives | Fish family |
| Alma mater | Harvard University(BA) Northeastern University(JD) |
Early life
editFish was born and raised inMillbrook, New York.[2]He is a member of the prominentFish political family.He was the son of Julia MacKenzie andHamilton Fish IV,who represented New York in theUnited States House of Representativesfrom 1969 to 1995. His grandfather,Hamilton Fish III,represented New York in theUnited States House of Representativesfrom 1920 to 1945 and served in369th U.S. Infantry Regimentknown as the "Harlem Hellfighters." Fish's great-great grandfather wasHamilton Fish,the 26thUnited States Secretary of State.[3]
Career
editAfter graduating fromHarvard Universityin 1981, Fish worked as a legislative aide forMassachusettsCongressmanBarney Frank.He received aJuris Doctordegree fromNortheastern Universityin 1986. Fish practiced law inNew York Cityand inPortland, Oregon.[4]
Fish spent ten years representing health care workers and unions inNew York City.He was appointed toManhattan Community Board Five,a neighborhood association, serving as chair for two years.[5]
Fish championed the renovation of theTimes Square Hotel.Working with community non-profitCommon Ground,the hotel was remodeled into affordable housing and a thriving community of theater district workers, residents living withHIV/AIDS,and formerly homeless individuals. The Times Square renovation received theRudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellencein 1997.[6]
Fish moved toPortland, Oregonin 1996 after his wife, Patricia Schechter, was offered a teaching position in the History Department atPortland State University.[7]
Prior to running for elected office, Fish practiced employment law in Oregon, and hostedOutlook Portland with Nick Fish,a public affairs show onKRCW.[citation needed]
Fish served on the boards ofHome Forward(formerly the Housing Authority of Portland), theOregon Cultural Trust,Volunteers of America,and the St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund.[citation needed]
Politics
edit
Fish first ran for a seat on thePortland City Councilin 2002, losing to Randy Leonard.[8]He ran again in 2004, losing to future MayorSam Adams.[9]In 2008, Fish again ran for the Council, this time in a special election for the unexpired term of resigned CommissionerErik Sten.He won the seat with 61.4% of the vote.[10]He was re-elected to a full four-year term in 2010 with just under 80% of the vote.[11]
Until February 2013, Fish served as Commissioner-in-Charge of the Portland Housing Bureau andPortland Parks & Recreation.[citation needed]
In 2010, Fish led the creation of the new Portland Housing Bureau, streamlining and consolidating the City's housing programs and services. In 2011, he celebrated the opening of Bud Clark Commons, a cornerstone of the City's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.[12]
In June 2013, a shuffling of bureaus among the commissioners by Mayor Hales saw Fish assigned the Bureau of Environment Services and thePortland Water Bureau,and placed in charge of theRegional Arts & Culture Council.[13]
Personal life
editFish and his wife lived for 20 years in Northeast Portland before renting an apartment inGoose Hollowtowards the end of Nick's life.[14]
Fish was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2017.[15][16]On December 31, 2019, Fish said he was no longer able to carry out his work as a commissioner and announced his plan to resign upon the election of a successor.[17]Two days later, Fish died at his home in Portland, Oregon from stomach cancer. He was 61 years old.[18]
References
edit- ^"Nick Fish (In Memoriam) | the City of Portland, Oregon".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-01-08.Retrieved2019-01-05.
- ^Fish, Nick."Democratic Party of Oregon".Archivedfrom the original on 21 July 2011.Retrieved23 July2012.
- ^Bingham, Larry (2010-09-28)."Portland city Commissioner Nick Fish hopes to secure a medal for a WWI soldier who served with his grandfather".oregonlive.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-11-18.Retrieved2019-11-18.
- ^"Democratic Party of Oregon-Commissioner Nick ish".Archivedfrom the original on 2019-05-29.Retrieved2019-11-18.
- ^"Nick Fish | Democratic Party of Oregon".dpo.org.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-05-29.Retrieved2019-11-18.
- ^"Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence".Bruner Foundation.Retrieved3 September2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Portland State College of Liberal Arts & Sciences: Department of History | Faculty bio-Patricia Schechter".pdx.edu.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-11-18.Retrieved2019-11-18.
- ^"2002 September Special Election - Official Results".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-01-03.Retrieved2020-01-03.
- ^"City of Portland 2004 November Election - Official Results".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-08-08.Retrieved2017-08-07.
- ^"City of Portland 2008 May Election - Official Results".Archivedfrom the original on 2023-08-06.Retrieved2015-04-26.
- ^"City of Portland 2010 May Election - Official Results".Archivedfrom the original on 2015-12-25.Retrieved2015-04-26.
- ^Fish, Nick."Commissioner Nick Fish".Archivedfrom the original on 26 June 2012.Retrieved23 July2012.
- ^Kost, Ryan (June 4, 2013)."Hales shuffles city bureaus".The Oregonian.p. B1.Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2013.RetrievedJune 7,2013.
- ^"Meet Nick | The City of Portland, Oregon".portlandoregon.gov.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-11-18.Retrieved2019-11-18.
- ^Oregonian/OregonLive, Jessica Floum | The (2017-08-17)."Portland Commissioner Nick Fish diagnosed with cancer".oregonlive.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-11-18.Retrieved2019-11-18.
- ^"Commissioner Fish says he's blessed with support while battling cancer, hopes Wheeler runs for second term".KGW.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-11-18.Retrieved2019-11-18.
- ^"A Message to the Community from Commissioner Nick Fish".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-01-01.Retrieved2020-01-03.
- ^"Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish dead from stomach cancer".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-01-03.Retrieved2020-01-03.
External links
edit
- Commissioner Nick Fishon City of Portland website