Former mayor, police commissioners thank Sean Shivers

Presenter: A former mayor recognizes a long-serving member of the Eugene Police Commission. With the introductions, Police Commission Chair Jensina Hawkins:

Jensina Hawkins (Police Commission, chair): Tonight, as all of us around the table know, is our last meeting with the one, the only, Sean Shivers, former chair, former vice chair, former absolutely everything possible. And Sean, to present your certificate to you this evening, we have a very special guest: Madam (former) Mayor.

[00:00:31] Presenter: Former mayor of the city of Eugene, Lucy Vinis:

[00:00:34] Lucy Vinis (Eugene mayor, 2017-2025): Thank you. I actually just want to say a few words about this gentleman. So Sean served almost my entire tenure as mayor. He came on board in 2018. I started as mayor in 2017. He’s outlasted me by six months.

[00:00:51] So I do really want to say that we went through a lot. I mean, when he was first appointed to the commission, we had a certain format. We had a certain tradition around how this commission functioned.

[00:01:04] But Sean was in the hot seat in the very hot summer of 2020 with with all of the tensions and all of the challenges and the decisions that the city had to make about how to be responsive to the frustration, to the anger, how do we need, how could we create a new path from the frustrations people were feeling to people feeling that the city was responsive and that we were opening the table.

[00:01:29] And so Sean presided over this process in which we reopened the applications for seats on the commission. We expanded the size of the commission. I don’t remember the number, you have maybe 30?

[00:01:41] Sean Shivers (Police Commission): We had about 110.

[00:01:44] Lucy Vinis (Eugene mayor, 2017-2025): 110, okay, I forgot how massive it was. It was a massive undertaking to filter all those applications to begin to sort of reconstitute what this body looks like and who sits on this body and feeling representative and the different posts that he represented.

[00:02:01] And Sean was, he was thoughtful, he was deliberative. He was really thorough in his approach to that and he was considerate. And I think you’ll learn about it for us to present leadership then and in the 15 million years.

[00:02:13] And you know, one of the things I will say about my biggest takeaway about being the mayor of the city of Eugene is the incredible wealth we have of talent and commitment in our public people, people showing on their tonight to provide testimony to the people who dedicate eight years of their lives to serving on a challenging board. It makes us strong, it makes us a better community. Thank you for the work you have done. Thank you for the model that you display to the community of community service, public service, and I wish you all the best in the next chapter in your life. Thank you so much.

[00:02:48] Presenter: With special thanks to Sean for serving as his campaign manager, Councilor Randy Groves:

[00:02:53] Councilor Randy Groves: I’m going to start by thanking Sean for everything you’ve done. I also appreciate your friendship with one heck of a campaign. I’m going to say that you’re going to be missed, when I really think you set the bar for a commissioner on the Police Commission and I’m grateful for that.

[00:03:15] Presenter: Vice chair Emeilia Foulkes:

[00:03:16] Emeilia Foulkes (Police Commission, vice chair): Sean, it’s been an absolute—Commissioner Shivers, it’s been an absolute delight. And I appreciate you to do as a mentor. You’ve been phenomenal.

[00:03:23] Presenter: Police Commission Chair Jensina Hawkins:

[00:03:26] Jensina Hawkins (Police Commission, chair): Thank you, Sean. You have been an incredible mentor and particularly with the untimely passing of former Chair (Dallas) Boggs, it was really wonderful for me to be able to lean on your expertise as a former chair and with all of your years of experience on the commission. And you’re a really darn good friend. And my kids still have your seat saved for you at my dining room table where they have told you that you sit and you don’t have to sit anywhere else.

[00:03:56] Presenter: Sean Shivers:

[00:03:57] Sean Shivers (Police Commission): Yeah, I appreciate it and I’m glad to see that the work that Lucy lauded at the beginning is being carried forward by Jensina and will be continuing to be carried forward.

[00:04:09] My words of advice are for our new commissioners: Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for picking up these batons. It took me a year to get my feet under me, so don’t feel pressured that everybody’s going to expect everything from you immediately.

[00:04:23] For our entire audience, there’s going to be a vacancy on the Police Commission. Please sign up, please tell your friends the only way this works is if people with values and willingness to work continue to do the work year after year.

[00:04:38] Presenter: Praise for outgoing Police Commissioner Sean Shivers. Learn more and apply for the Police Commission at the city website.