Shirley Dean
Encyclopedia
Shirley Ann Dean, considered moderate
in Berkeley politics, is an American politician who served as the Mayor
of Berkeley, California
from 1994 to 2002. Before serving two terms as Berkeley's Mayor, Dean served on the Berkeley City Council for 15 years between 1975 and 1994 and was a leader of the Berkeley Democratic Club.
Shirley Dean grew up in a single parent family, and graduated from Berkeley High School in 1952. She was selected as a Distinguished Graduate in the Berkeley High School Hall of Fame, and was the first in her family to attend college. She graduated with honors from UC Berkeley with a BA
in Social Welfare in 1956.
During part of the time that she served as Mayor, she worked on a half-time appointment for UC Berkeley Undergraduate Admission and Relations with Schools and the Office of Admissions. Her responsibilities included writing the plan and supervising field work for the recruitment of minority students to the UC Berkeley campus and visiting high schools throughout the State of California. She received two Distinguished Service Awards from UC Berkeley for her work before she retired in March, 2000.
In July 2008, Dean announced that she intends to run for mayor again, in the November 2008 election.
She was re-elected by more than 56% of the vote in 1998. Some may remember that the month before her 1998 victory her opponent, Don Jelinek, accused her of having disguised her identity while visiting Wilmington College
, the college that rival Councilmember and Jelinek supporter Kriss Worthington attended. Dean stated that she visited the school seeking to read about Worthington in the college’s newspaper, a public record. She also stated she never asked for non-public records and that upon the request of the college showed her California Driver’s License bearing her full name and address. There is no record of her ever having said a word about the material she read in the college's newspaper.
During most of her two-term tenure as Mayor, she worked with divided City Council that had a 5-4 progressive majority. The position of mayor in the city of Berkeley is largely a symbolic post, carrying no more power than other council members. Dean compensated by working relentlessly on programs she thought were best for the city. For much of her career, Dean's political base was the very active network of Berkeley neighborhood organizations, however many of her critics and rivals found her to be too conservative. Dean and other members of the City Council were openly mocked at a city-sponsored art festival where a satirical, mock City Council meeting was staged in which actors took over the Council Chambers and ridiculed Berkeley's elected officials.
After September 11, when the progressive City Council majority voted to condemn the war in Afghanistan
, Dean went on Fox News and reported that the Council’s actions were prompting a flood of letters and e-mails threatening an economic boycott of the City . On a television show regarding the issue, she called her Council colleagues who had voted for the measure “patriots” who had every right to protest.
Dean lost her bid for reelection in 2002 to fellow democrat Tom Bates
. The day before the election Tom Bates stole 1,000 copies of The Daily Californian because the paper had endorsed Dean. Bates was charged with the theft, pled guilty, was fined, and ordered to pay the paper restitution.
Dean's accomplishments as Mayor include:
pledged to Senator Frank Church
.
Dean served on the Berkeley City Council for 15 years between 1975 and 1994. She was first elected to the City Council in 1975 as an at large member, she served on the council until 1982. When district elections were adopted in Berkeley in 1986 Dean was the first elected council member from District 5, she held the seat until 1994 when she was elected Mayor.
In 2003, Dean was named Woman of the year by the Zonta Club of Berkeley/North Bay.
In 2009, Dean appeared in the documentary film Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley
about the controversial greening
of Berkeley after the passage of Berkeley Proposition G.
Dean made headlines in 2007 when she, at age 71, city council member Betty Olds, 86, and noted environmentalist and co-founder of Save the Bay, Sylvia McLaughlin, 90, climbed a ladder to briefly join a tree-sit aimed at saving the Memorial Oak Grove outside the stadium of the University of California, Berkeley.
After a 21-month protest, the oak trees were cut down.
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
in Berkeley politics, is an American politician who served as the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
from 1994 to 2002. Before serving two terms as Berkeley's Mayor, Dean served on the Berkeley City Council for 15 years between 1975 and 1994 and was a leader of the Berkeley Democratic Club.
Shirley Dean grew up in a single parent family, and graduated from Berkeley High School in 1952. She was selected as a Distinguished Graduate in the Berkeley High School Hall of Fame, and was the first in her family to attend college. She graduated with honors from UC Berkeley with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Social Welfare in 1956.
During part of the time that she served as Mayor, she worked on a half-time appointment for UC Berkeley Undergraduate Admission and Relations with Schools and the Office of Admissions. Her responsibilities included writing the plan and supervising field work for the recruitment of minority students to the UC Berkeley campus and visiting high schools throughout the State of California. She received two Distinguished Service Awards from UC Berkeley for her work before she retired in March, 2000.
In July 2008, Dean announced that she intends to run for mayor again, in the November 2008 election.
Mayor
Shirley Dean was first elected Mayor of Berkeley in 1994 after a close run-off race.She was re-elected by more than 56% of the vote in 1998. Some may remember that the month before her 1998 victory her opponent, Don Jelinek, accused her of having disguised her identity while visiting Wilmington College
Wilmington College
Wilmington College is a private career-oriented liberal arts institution established by Quakers in 1870 in Wilmington, Ohio, United States. The college is accredited by the North Central Association, .-About Wilmington College:...
, the college that rival Councilmember and Jelinek supporter Kriss Worthington attended. Dean stated that she visited the school seeking to read about Worthington in the college’s newspaper, a public record. She also stated she never asked for non-public records and that upon the request of the college showed her California Driver’s License bearing her full name and address. There is no record of her ever having said a word about the material she read in the college's newspaper.
During most of her two-term tenure as Mayor, she worked with divided City Council that had a 5-4 progressive majority. The position of mayor in the city of Berkeley is largely a symbolic post, carrying no more power than other council members. Dean compensated by working relentlessly on programs she thought were best for the city. For much of her career, Dean's political base was the very active network of Berkeley neighborhood organizations, however many of her critics and rivals found her to be too conservative. Dean and other members of the City Council were openly mocked at a city-sponsored art festival where a satirical, mock City Council meeting was staged in which actors took over the Council Chambers and ridiculed Berkeley's elected officials.
After September 11, when the progressive City Council majority voted to condemn the war in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Dean went on Fox News and reported that the Council’s actions were prompting a flood of letters and e-mails threatening an economic boycott of the City . On a television show regarding the issue, she called her Council colleagues who had voted for the measure “patriots” who had every right to protest.
Dean lost her bid for reelection in 2002 to fellow democrat Tom Bates
Tom Bates
Thomas H. Bates is an American politician and is currently serving as the Mayor of Berkeley, California. He previously served 20 years as a member of the California State Assembly before being termed out in 1996. Bates is married to Loni Hancock, a former mayor of Berkeley and State Assembly...
. The day before the election Tom Bates stole 1,000 copies of The Daily Californian because the paper had endorsed Dean. Bates was charged with the theft, pled guilty, was fined, and ordered to pay the paper restitution.
Dean's accomplishments as Mayor include:
- Recognition for bringing the Arts and Theater District to life in Downtown Berkeley by establishing a public-private partnership with the Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning Berkeley Repertory TheatreBerkeley Repertory TheatreBerkeley Repertory Theatre is a regional theater company located in Berkeley, California. It was founded in 1968, as the East Bay’s first resident professional theatre. Michael Leibert was the founding artistic director, who was then succeeded by Sharon Ott in 1984. The company runs seven...
and bringing in the JazzSchool, Aurora Theater, and Nevo Center for the Performing Arts in one of Berkeley’s oldest buildings. The Arts and Theater District was showcased by the United States Conference of MayorsUnited States Conference of MayorsUnited States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
as an example of revitalization of a declining downtown area. It is estimated that over a 5 year period the city's original investment of $5.5 million on Arts District projects generated over $150 million in public and private spending in the downtown area. - Putting together the funding to build the Berkeley I-80 bridgeBerkeley I-80 bridgeThe Berkeley I-80 bridge is a -wide bridge spanning the Eastshore Freeway in Berkeley, California to allow bicycles, pedestrians, and wheelchair users access to the Berkeley Marina, Eastshore State Park, and the city. In the records of the city, the bridge is referred to as the "City of Berkeley...
a bicycle and pedestrian overpass that spans the multi-lane I-80 Freeway providing safe passage from the city to the Eastshore State ParkEastshore State ParkEastshore State Park is a state park and wildlife refuge along the San Francisco Bay shoreline of the East Bay between the cities of Richmond, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland. It encompasses remnant natural wetlands, restored wetlands as well as landfill west of the Eastshore Freeway. It...
and the Berkeley MarinaBerkeley MarinaThe Berkeley Marina is the westernmost portion of the city of Berkeley, California, located west of the Eastshore Freeway at the foot of University Avenue on San Francisco Bay...
. - Development of a plan for City-sponsored housing assistance for people with AIDS to remain in their own homes based on the input of a task force she formed that included members of the AIDS community. The unanimously approved plan served as the pre-cursor to the city obtaining federally sponsored supportive housing.
- Working to restore the landmark Marin Circle Fountain with private funds. The fountain is the largest public works gift ever given to the city of Berkeley.
- Working in partnership with Country Joe McDonaldCountry Joe McDonaldCountry Joe McDonald is an American musician who was the lead singer of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish.-Personal life:...
to honor veterans by bringing the “Wall that Heals”, a Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
memorial, to Berkeley in honor of those who served, died and protested that war. - Establish programs expanding and renovating the city's library, constructing 800 new housing units including the Gaia Building downtown, and lowering crime.
- As Chair of the East BayEast Bay-Places:In Canada:*East Bay, Nova Scotia, a small town in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia*East Bay , the east arm of the Bras d'Or Lake located in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton IslandIn the United States:...
Public Safety Corridor, leading the East Bay regional effort to ban the sale of Saturday Night Specials, enact trigger lockTrigger lockA trigger lock is a device designed to prevent a firearm from being discharged while the device is in place. Generally, two pieces come together from either side behind the trigger and are locked in place, which can be unlocked with a key or combination. This physically prevents the trigger from...
ordinances, and impose special taxes on retailers who sell guns. This work was recognized by the United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and Attorney General Janet RenoJanet RenoJanet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
as exemplary. She also secured private contributions to purchase an outdoor sculpture, “The Berkeley Peace Bell”, made from melted guns.
Early Political Career
Dean started her political career by organizing the Bonita-Berryman Neighborhood Association, which led to her appointment in 1971 to the city's Planning Commission. In the early 70s, she worked with Urban Care to stop the development of a large shopping center on the waterfront. She also worked with Urban Care to achieve Council approval for what is recognized as one of the best Landmarks Preservation Ordinances in the Nation. In 1976, she was elected from a caucus in her congressional district as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
pledged to Senator Frank Church
Frank Church
Frank Forrester Church III was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Idaho from 1957 to 1981....
.
Dean served on the Berkeley City Council for 15 years between 1975 and 1994. She was first elected to the City Council in 1975 as an at large member, she served on the council until 1982. When district elections were adopted in Berkeley in 1986 Dean was the first elected council member from District 5, she held the seat until 1994 when she was elected Mayor.
Recent Community Involvement
Since leaving the Mayor’s Office in 2002, Dean has been involved in several community and environmental organizations, serving on the boards of:- Save Strawberry Canyon, an organization working to preserve the watershed and woodlands of Strawberry Canyon from proposed construction by Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryThe Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
. - A Better Way, an East Bay social service and mental health agency that serves children and their families.
- Citizens for East Shore Parks (CESP), working to extend the waterfront park through Point Molate in Richmond, CaliforniaRichmond, CaliforniaRichmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
.
In 2003, Dean was named Woman of the year by the Zonta Club of Berkeley/North Bay.
In 2009, Dean appeared in the documentary film Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley
Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley
Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley is a documentary film directed by Emio Tomeoni and produced by Meo Productions.The film concerns Berkeley, California's attempt to green the city—partly by passing Measure G in Berkeley in 2007—and the various factions in the city arguing over the best way to...
about the controversial greening
Greening
Greening is the process of transforming artifacts such as a space, a lifestyle or a brand image into a more environmentally friendly version...
of Berkeley after the passage of Berkeley Proposition G.
Dean made headlines in 2007 when she, at age 71, city council member Betty Olds, 86, and noted environmentalist and co-founder of Save the Bay, Sylvia McLaughlin, 90, climbed a ladder to briefly join a tree-sit aimed at saving the Memorial Oak Grove outside the stadium of the University of California, Berkeley.
After a 21-month protest, the oak trees were cut down.