By Mary Swift-Swan

Mayor Connie Wiley is retiring after serving the Belvedere community for 12 years. Connie started her community service by serving on the Planning Commission for four years. Encouraged by her colleagues on the Council, she ran for City Council and was elected twice. Though busy with a successful interior design business, she always made time to serve her community. Wiley served as Mayor of Belvedere within the Council in 2000 and 2004. She will retire on April 4th. Connie plans to continue serving her community in some volunteer capacity or in an appointed position. As a long-time resident of the area, she welcomes the opportunity to continue serving the community she loves.

Connie’s happy portrait is by her daughter, Artist Paige Peterson, whose portraits and beach scenes have been exhibited nationally. Connie encouraged Paige as a young girl to paint, as her talent was evident from the first time she picked up a brush. (see Bay Crossings December 2002). Connie paid Paige $100 per piece, when just 18, to paint paintings for model homes she decorated in the early days of her interior decorating career. As proud of her mother as Paige is, Connie is equally proud that Paige was just signed to be represented by one of the countries most prestigious galleries, the Spanierman Gallery of New York City. The Spanierman Gallery will tour with Paige’s work to introduce the nation to her talent, beginning with Chicago in May. Those who have bought Paige’s work will also be very happy, as even her least priced works have gone up greatly, due to this recent exciting event.