The First Lady: Nancy Hales on Life as the Mayor’s Wife

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

By Nancy Hales, GoLocalPDX Contributor

We’re in the living room of an old brick building on an unlikely corner of downtown. A wild collection of art on the walls, random projects scattered on tabletops, boxes of Pink Martini CDs stashed in a corner.

This residence/studio/office/playroom is Thomas Lauderdale’s downtown Portland loft, and the scene of a good-bye party for one of my students, who leaves the next day for an internship in New York. Thomas, founder of Portland’s legendary band Pink Martini and host of this evening’s party, beckons me from across the room. The buzz of students, artists, musicians, and wonky planner types gathered there goes silent.

“Please do share some words with us, Lady Hales!” implores Thomas. I’m on the spot to be both spontaneous and witty. I’m not particularly good at either. But resisting Thomas is unthinkable.  

My new life

Welcome to my new life as the “First Lady of Portland.” Portland and I are shaping this role together. Thankfully, Portland is a forgiving city. It allows me to stumble around a bit in public while I get it right.

I look around the room while trying to think of something clever to say. I see longtime Portlanders, sure. Activists. Artists. A Metro councilor here and an edgy architect there. But also in the room are the recent Montana transplants Sofi, Amanda and August Von Trapp (that’s right, THOSE Von Trapps!), talented Pink Martini vocalist China Forbes, and several others lured to Portland’s music scene by a persuasive Thomas Lauderdale.  

Platinum-haired Thomas, a human vortex drawing in talented immigrants, is emblematic of our city today. Portland’s vortex is also attracting newcomers, new bio-researchers to OSHU’s South Waterfront campus, and new storefront shop-owners in the new Mercado on Foster Road. An exciting time for Portland and especially for me. As First Lady, I get to meet them all!

So what to say now that everyone is waiting for me to speak? I cobble together something unmemorable, hoping to convey my confidence and trust in my wonderful protégé, bound for New York. I share my love for our growing city, and my commitment to serve well in this unique role.  

Ultimately what I say doesn’t matter. This is Portland, after all—a city that believes in its people. The content of my stumblings are not important; what matters in the end is that at that moment, in that room, I get to greet the new Portland.

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