Clare Higgins

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. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2003 through the University Without Walls (University of Massachusetts Amherst). Higgins worked in early childhood education. Career Higgins became involved in politics in the early 1990s, when she became a commissioner on the board of the Northampton Housing Authority. During the same period, the city drew national media attention for its percentage of lesbians among the population. 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.