Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
As a way to introduce them to members, the MMA is sitting down for interviews with the new presidents of the member groups who took office in January.
Linda Tyer
When Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer joined a women’s political action committee a couple of decades ago, she had no idea that it would inspire her to run for City Council in 2003, or that it would ultimately lead to the top job in City Hall.
“It wasn’t like growing up, and in high school and in college, I was like, ‘I am going to run for office someday,’” said Tyer. “That was not my plan at all. So this was a complete surprise to me that I decided to do this.”
Tyer served on the council from 2004 through 2009, when she became Pittsfield’s elected city clerk. She remained in that role until winning her first mayoral election and taking office in 2016. She won reelection in 2020.
Before entering politics, Tyer earned an associate’s degree as a legal assistant/paralegal from Bay Path University, and worked as an executive assistant in the Lenox Public Schools.
Last year, Tyer served as first vice president of the Mayors’ Association. This year, she said, mayors are transitioning from pandemic crisis response to recovery mode, and have the opportunity to make “transformative change” with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The daughter of a U.S. Air Force veteran, Tyer was born in Michigan, spent middle school in Athens, Greece, high school in Bellevue, Nebraska, and lived in Winnepeg, Canada, among other locations. She said those experiences have shaped her policies, including creating Pittsfield’s new diversity, equity and inclusion office.
“That’s the vision that I have for our future city,” Tyer said, “that it’s a place for everyone.”
Away from City Hall, Tyer enjoys life with her husband Barry Clairmont, their Brittany dog Kenzie, and gray cat Shea. Hailing from an Italian family, Tyer loves to cook the family spaghetti sauce recipe “and just all kinds of foods that are rich in flavor.” For life balance, she practices yoga and loves to read, especially novels.