Nick Fish

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This article is about the American politician. For the atheist activist, see American Atheists § Leadership.
Nick Fish
Portland City Commissioner
In office
2008 – January 2, 2020
Preceded byErik Sten
Succeeded byDan Ryan
Personal details
Born
Nicholas Stuyvesant Fish

September 30, 1958 (1958-09-30)
Millbrook, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 2, 2020 (2020-01-03) (aged 61)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesFish family
Alma materHarvard University (BA)
Northeastern University (JD)

Nicholas Stuyvesant Fish (September 30, 1958 – January 2, 2020) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a Commissioner of Portland, Oregon from 2008 to 2020. A Democrat, Fish worked with Portland Parks & Recreation, the Portland Housing Bureau, and the Bureau of Environmental Services.[1]

Early life

Fish was born and raised in

369th U.S. Infantry Regiment known as the "Harlem Hellfighters." Fish's great-great grandfather was Hamilton Fish, the 26th United States Secretary of State.[3]

Career

After graduating from Harvard University in 1981, Fish worked as a legislative aide for Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank. He received a Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University in 1986. Fish practiced law in New York City and in Portland, Oregon.[4]

Fish spent ten years representing health care workers and unions in

Manhattan Community Board Five, a neighborhood association, serving as chair for two years.[5]

Fish championed the renovation of the

Common Ground, the hotel was remodeled into affordable housing and a thriving community of theater district workers, residents living with HIV/AIDS, and formerly homeless individuals. The Times Square renovation received the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence in 1997.[6]

Fish moved to Portland, Oregon in 1996 after his wife, Patricia Schechter, was offered a teaching position in the History Department at Portland State University.[7]

Prior to running for elected office, Fish practiced employment law in Oregon, and hosted Outlook Portland with Nick Fish, a public affairs show on KRCW.[citation needed]

Fish served on the boards of Home Forward (formerly the Housing Authority of Portland), the Oregon Cultural Trust, Volunteers of America, and the St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund.[citation needed]

Politics

Fish at a meeting of the City Commission

Fish first ran for a seat on the Portland City Council in 2002, losing to Randy Leonard.[8] He ran again in 2004, losing to future Mayor Sam Adams.[9] In 2008, Fish again ran for the Council, this time in a special election for the unexpired term of resigned Commissioner Erik 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 and Portland 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 the Portland Water Bureau, and placed in charge of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.[13]

Personal life

Fish and his wife lived for 20 years in Northeast Portland before renting an apartment in Goose Hollow towards 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, Mr Fish died at his home in Portland, Oregon from stomach cancer. He was 61 years old.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Nick Fish (In Memoriam) | the City of Portland, Oregon". Archived from the original on 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  2. ^ Fish, Nick. "Democratic Party of Oregon". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  3. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  4. ^ "Democratic Party of Oregon-Commissioner Nick ish". Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  5. ^ "Nick Fish | Democratic Party of Oregon". dpo.org. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  6. ^ "Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence". Bruner Foundation. Retrieved 3 September 2013.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Portland State College of Liberal Arts & Sciences: Department of History | Faculty bio-Patricia Schechter". www.pdx.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  8. ^ "2002 September Special Election - Official Results". Archived from the original on 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  9. ^ "City of Portland 2004 November Election - Official Results". Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  10. ^ "City of Portland 2008 May Election - Official Results". Archived from the original on 2023-08-06. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  11. ^ "City of Portland 2010 May Election - Official Results". Archived from the original on 2015-12-25. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  12. ^ Fish, Nick. "Commissioner Nick Fish". Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  13. ^ Kost, Ryan (June 4, 2013). "Hales shuffles city bureaus". The Oregonian. p. B1. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  14. ^ "Meet Nick | The City of Portland, Oregon". www.portlandoregon.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  15. ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Jessica Floum | The (2017-08-17). "Portland Commissioner Nick Fish diagnosed with cancer". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  16. ^ "Commissioner Fish says he's blessed with support while battling cancer, hopes Wheeler runs for second term". KGW. Archived from the original on 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  17. ^ "A Message to the Community from Commissioner Nick Fish". Archived from the original on 2020-01-01. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  18. ^ "Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish dead from stomach cancer". Archived from the original on 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2020-01-03.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nick Fish.
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