After graduating with my Masters degree
in 1982, I started going by Catherine. I met my husband and moved to Oregon in 1984. We had our first son in 1989 and our daughter in 1993. In 1995, we adopted our youngest son from South Korea. We named him after my dad and kept his birth name as well. James Joseph Byunghoon Arnold. Poor kid, his middle names never fit in the space provided. 😂
Year
1982
Stay-at-home mom
A more accurate description was stay-in-the-car-and-public-buildings mom.😂 I volunteered in schools, church, local government, nonprofits – over 30 different organizations. Some of my favorites were being a Girl Scout Camp Director, Art Literacy teacher, Beaverton Committee for Community Involvement officer, Small Claims Court mediator, and Leadership Beaverton class project coordinator (we built the first Habitat for Humanity homes in Beaverton – another one of my proudest moments).
Year
1993
After 10 years as a member of
several Beaverton City committees and the Metro Technical Advisory Committee, I was elected to Beaverton City Council. I understood the City budget and what Land Use regulations meant but there was still more to learn.
Year
2005
Diagnosed with breast cancer
I went through chemotherapy and several operations. Having to tell my kids and my daughter’s Girl Scout troop that I might die from it were the most painful moments of my life.
Year
2009
Breast Cancer Survivor
In my 4th year as a breast cancer survivor, I realized I was in a new phase of life. I go by Cate as a reminder. This is the time when our bodies wear down, when our parents and others pass away, when we have the chance to share our wisdom with our families and communities as we become the next in line to go.
Year
2013
An unusual run for office
I chose not to run for re-election so that I could focus on updating our Charter for a more ethical and efficient form of government. By the end of February, I could see that not enough people were hearing about it so I entered the race for Mayor. I asked you to vote for me and for Ballot Measure 34-298. Fortunately, it passed!
Year
2020
Walking my Talk
I spent my next 3 years walking my talk.While on City Council, I always advocated for preparing for disasters that might occur. After leaving, I’ve spent the last 3 years walking my talk. I joined the Beaverton CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and BERT (Beaverton Emergency Radio Team). We still have much to do to truly be ready.
Year
2021
A "Yes" for City Council
I was asked multiple times to run for City Council and kept saying “no”, but finally decided to run. My hope is that I can help strengthen the effectiveness of our Council-Manager structure and focus on Emergency Preparedness from the levels of our neighborhood Geoteams - to City Emergency Management - to County, State and other Emergency Response organizations - so that we will be ready for whatever we may face.
Year