Bio

Nick was elected to the Portland City Council in a special election in 2008, and re-elected to a four year term in 2010.

He is in charge of the Portland Housing Bureau and Portland Parks & Recreation, and serves as liaison to Elders in Action.

In 2010, Nick launched the Portland Housing Bureau, combining all the housing programs and functions of the city under one roof. The new bureau focuses on three priorities: building and preserving affordable homes, working to end homelessness, and expanding homeownership opportunities.

In 2011, Portland Parks & Recreation won the National Gold Medal for the best parks system in the nation.

Nick was born on September 30, 1958. He grew up in the small rural Hudson River town of Millbrook, New York.

After graduating from Harvard, Nick worked as a legislative aide for Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank. He received a law degree from Northeastern University in 1986, and spent ten years representing health care workers and unions in New York City.

When Nick’s wife Patricia was offered a position as a professor of history at Portland State University, the family moved to Portland.

Nick is a dedicated community volunteer. He has served in leadership positions on the boards of the Oregon Cultural Trust, Volunteers of America, Oregon, and the Housing Authority of Portland (now Home Forward). He also hosted Outlook Portland with Nick Fish, a public affairs show on KRCW.

Nick and his family live in Northeast Portland. Their daughter is a college freshman; their son is a second grader in Portland Public Schools

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Nick is the proud recipient of the following:

• The 2012 Blanchet House of Hospitality Fr. Kennard Award

• The 2011 Low-Income Housing Champion award from the Community Alliance of Tenants

• The 2011 Fighting Spirit Award from Basic Rights Oregon, awarded to the Portland City Council

• A 2010 Celebrating Home award from Common Ground

• The 2009 Reuse Visionary award from the School & Community Reuse Action Project (SCRAP)

• The 2009 Low-Income Housing Champion award from the Community Alliance of Tenants

• A Certificate of Outstanding Service to Organized Labor from the Northwest Oregon Labor Council

• The Chief Joseph Award from the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA)

• A letter of recognition from Portland Fire & Rescue Chief John Klum, presented to Nick and his
staff for their efforts during the 2008 December weather emergency

• The 2008 Multnomah County Volunteer Award for his work on the Vital Aging Task Force

• The 2001 Mayor’s Spirit of Portland Award for participating in the “Flight for Freedom”