Catherine Shaw served three terms (twelve years) as mayor of Ashland, Oregon. First elected in 1988, she was the youngest person and the first woman elected to her city's highest post. She also served as a member chief of staff in the Oregon Legislature. For three decades, she has managed and consulted for scores of political campaigns, successfully passing innovative taxing measures for funding public education, recreation, parks, open-space programs, libraries, and civic buildings. Outspent in every election, sometimes as much as five to one, Shaw developed and perfected techniques to combat big money and to engineer seemingly impossible wins. She has been a frequent guest speaker and instructor for political science classes and campaign schools. Shaw currently works as a political consultant.