Shirley Huffman

Shirley Todd was born on August 30, 1928, in Bowdle, South Dakota.{{cite web |title=Shirley Huffman [paid obituary] |url=http://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?n=shirley-huffman&pid=189484374 |date=July 6, 2018|publisher=OregonLive.com |access-date=July 12, 2018}} Shirley met Thomas A. Huffman when growing up in Dayton, Oregon, when both were seven years old. They married in 1949 and had two children, son Tom Jr. and daughter Julie.{{cite news |title=Obituaries: Thomas A. Huffman |newspaper= The Oregonian |date= March 30, 1999|page=B8}} The Huffmans moved to Hillsboro in 1954 after Thomas graduated from Willamette University College of Law in Salem. Tom had been a student of later U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield, who taught at Willamette’s undergraduate school. In Hillsboro, Shirley joined the Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown,{{cite news|last=Corcoran|first=Elizabeth |title=Long Hours in an Oregon 'Clean Room' Offer Glimpse of What's Ahead for Region |work= The Washington Post |date= June 16, 1996|page=H5}} and worked as a legal secretary for her husband until 1989.{{cite news|last=Potter|first=Connie|title= Hillsboro's likable mayor calls it quits |work=The Oregonian |date= January 11, 1993 |page=B2}}

Huffman’s political career began in June 1977, when she was appointed to the Hillsboro City Council to replace resigned member Ted Clarno.{{cite web|title=Council History|date=January 2018|publisher=City of Hillsboro|url=https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/departments/city-manager-s-office/city-records-city-recorder/city-history/council-history |access-date=November 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211122432/https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/departments/city-manager-s-office/city-records-city-recorder/city-history/council-history|archive-date=February 11, 2017|url-status=dead}} She had been asked to join the council, and agreed to what she originally planned to be a short-term involvement in city government. She was subsequently elected to the position in 1978, for a term starting in January 1979, and served on the council until 1985.{{cite news|last=Yi|first=Matthew|title=Intel inside and out; Small Oregon town's growth embodies chipmaker's expansion |newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle

|date= March 12, 2002 |page=B1}} In 1984, she ran for mayor, winning the November election after running unopposed and becoming Hillsboro’s first woman mayor.

During her first term that was to be two years long, she worked to have the city charter revised to extend terms of the mayor to four years. The city council and city voters approved the change, with mayors now holding office for four years, though still limited to two consecutive terms. In 1988, she was again unopposed and won re-election, this time to a four-year term. As mayor, a part-time and unpaid position, she worked in the position between 35 and 40 hours each week.{{cite news|last=Potter|first=Connie|title=West Zoner: Shirley Huffman puts in full weeks as the part-time mayor of Hillsboro |newspaper=The Oregonian |date= March 1, 1990 |page=1}} This work included representing the city at official events as well as lobbying on behalf of the city.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

File:Hillsboro Central MAX station south.JPG

Huffman is credited with getting MAX light rail extended to downtown Hillsboro from its originally planned terminus at 185th Avenue.{{cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Don|title= Shirley Huffman, fiery lobbyist, earns praise; Hard work and a sharp phone call put light-rail trains into downtown Hillsboro |newspaper=The Oregonian |date= February 23, 2000 |page=E2}}{{cite news|url= http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/122124002122460.xml&coll=6|last= Gordanier |first=Susan |title= Shirley Huffman's legacy: Hillsboro's MAX line |work=The Hillsboro Argus |date= September 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915055023/http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/122124002122460.xml&coll=6|archive-date=September 15, 2008|url-status=dead}} Her lobbying included an episode when she spoke roughly to the head of the Federal Transit Administration in a phone call ("I had to get a little stern with him," said Huffman), as well as trips to Washington DC. TriMet’s general manager Fred Hansen stated, "We wouldn't be standing here [Hillsboro Central Station] if it hadn't been for Shirley; we'd be back at 185th looking to the west." For Huffman's role, TriMet added a plaque in 2000 at the Hillsboro Central Station honoring her work on the project. The plaque, dedicated on February 22, 2000, reads: "Shirley's vision and leadership brought MAX to Hillsboro, linking the region and its people together."

As mayor she was an opponent of the regional government Metro, with actions that included introducing a city resolution calling for Metro to be kept to its existing powers and duties.{{cite news|last=Steineger|first=Melissa|title= Hearing set in Hillsboro on Metro plan |work=The Oregonian |date= January 20, 1988 |page=B4}} The resolution was later passed by the city council.{{cite news|last=Steineger|first=Melissa|title= Hillsboro opposes expansion of Metro's powers |work=The Oregonian |date= February 17, 1988 |page=D16}} She had helped develop a similar resolution for a group representing the county and ten other cities, with both resolutions sent to a task force created by the Oregon Legislature that was examining the role of Metro. She and county leaders later battled Metro on proposed garbage transfer stations as well.{{cite news|last=Green|first=Ashbel S. |title=Metro, Washington County feud over garbage plan |work=The Oregonian |date= November 23, 1990 |page=E2}}

Huffman traveled to Fukuroi, Japan, in 1988 to sign an agreement that created a sister-city relationship with the Japanese city.{{cite news|last=Potter|first=Connie|title= Hillsboro, Fukuroi sign sister-city pact |work=The Oregonian |date= December 1, 1988 |page=MW9}} Fukuroi officials had visited Hillsboro in June 1987. During her time as mayor, many Japanese-based companies opened facilities in Hillsboro. Also as mayor she proposed a city ordinance to ban ferrets as pets after an infant died after being bitten more than 200 times in its crib in 1991, but later dropped the proposal after public support emerged for allowing ferrets.{{cite news |last=Potter |first=Connie|title= Hillsboro drops ban on ferrets |work=The Oregonian |date= March 29, 1991 |page=C4}}

While mayor she served on the board of directors for the League of Oregon Cities, including one year as president of that organization in 1987. Also during her time as mayor, Operation Picture Perfect started to assist in beautifying the city.{{cite news|last=Campillo|first=Linda|title= Hillsboro mayor lauds effect of beautification awards |work=The Oregonian |date= November 28, 1989 |page=B2}} Huffman was mayor from 1985 to 1993.{{cite web|url=https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/departments/city-manager-s-office/city-records-city-recorder/city-history/mayors|title=City History: Mayors|publisher=City of Hillsboro|access-date=November 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230072117/https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/departments/city-manager-s-office/city-records-city-recorder/city-history/mayors|archive-date=December 30, 2016|url-status=dead}}. Retrieved on July 12, 2018. She was praised for her work on behalf of the city by other elected officials in Hillsboro. "I think her power lies in her ability to get people to agree without conflict; she defuses any situation and is able to make things happen," said councilman Jim Lushina, while incoming mayor Gordon Faber said, "Shirley has done incredible things for our city. What a great mayor that woman has been."{{cite news|title=Faber enters race for Hillsboro mayor|work=The Oregonian |date=July 9, 1992|page=D2}} While she was mayor Hillsboro grew from around 29,000 residents to approximately 40,000.

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After leaving office, the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce named her as its distinguished citizen for 1993.{{cite news|title=West Zoner: Greater Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce hails ex-mayor Huffman as '93 outstanding citizen|work=The Oregonian |date= June 10, 1993 |page=7}} Huffman then took a position with the organization as economic development coordinator later that year, with the city paying half the salary.{{cite news|title=West Zoner: Hillsboro ex-mayor Shirley Huffman named to chamber's economic development post|work=The Oregonian |date= August 19, 1993 |page=3}} She also became the chairperson for the Washington County Community Action Organization’s capital campaign in 1993 to raise $1.3 million for a new building.{{cite news|title=Huffman takes on fund-raising effort |work=The Oregonian |date= August 20, 1993 |page=C2}}

In 1992, she joined the TriMet board of directors and spent eight years on the board, leaving in January 2000. Huffman was honored in 1993 when the auditorium at the county and city’s jointly owned Public Services Building was named in her honor.{{cite news|title=Auditorium named for Huffman|work=The Oregonian |date= August 27, 1993 |page=D2}} In 1994, the League of Oregon Cities gave her their Jim Richards Memorial Award.{{cite news|title=West Zoner: Shirley Huffman may be gone from elected office; Winners|work=The Oregonian |date= January 27, 1994 |page=1}} Huffman later led the campaign to approve a levy to build two new libraries and convert the Shute Park branch into a recreation center in 2002.{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=David R.|title= Hillsboro will vote on $29.9 million library bond|work=The Oregonian |date= March 7, 2002 |page=B2}} The measure was defeated by voters in May 2002. She also worked to develop the Hillsboro 2020 Vision plan adopted by the city.[http://www.hillsboro2020.org/FileLib/2003_VIC3Mtg_5-19-03_Summary_Revised2.pdf Hillsboro 2020 Vision Implementation Committee 2002-2003.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726152545/http://www.hillsboro2020.org/FileLib/2003_VIC3Mtg_5-19-03_Summary_Revised2.pdf |date=July 26, 2011 }} City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on August 28, 2009.

At the end of 2014, Huffman was living in an assisted living facility in Hillsboro, but subsequently moved to California. Huffman died on July 1, 2018, in Ventura, California, at the age of 89.{{cite news|last=Friedman|first=Gordon R.|title=Shirley Huffman, first female mayor of Hillsboro, dies at 89|date=July 1, 2018|newspaper=The Oregonian|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/07/ed71b3cf062101/shirley_huffman_first_female_m.html |access-date=July 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702040124/https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/07/ed71b3cf062101/shirley_huffman_first_female_m.html |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |url-status=live}}

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• [http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/1998/08/03/story2.html "Hillsboro hopes to ride the light rail to prosperity"] – Portland Business Journal

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Category:1928 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:Mayors of Hillsboro, Oregon

Category:People from Dayton, Oregon

Category:Hillsboro City Council members (Oregon)

Category:American Lutherans

Category:Women mayors of places in Oregon

Category:Women city councillors in Oregon

Category:20th-century Lutherans

Category:20th-century mayors of places in Oregon

Category:21st-century American women