“Don’t be a bystander in your community.”
For Mary Hetherington, that idea has shaped her life in Truckee, from raising three kids and coaching local teams to entering politics in 2004 by running for the Truckee Tahoe Airport Board.
Hetherington’s life in the Tahoe area began in 1990 when she moved to Truckee for the love of the mountains.
“With my husband, I was balancing raising three kids and an engineering business,” said Hetherington, who has a master’s from UC Berkeley in civil engineering and worked in construction and infrastructure management.
While raising her family in Truckee, Hetherington got involved in coaching soccer and little league teams and working in her kids’ classrooms.
“Even though my kids are now grown, I’m still helping coach the ACMS [Alder Creek Middle School] Nordic team,” said Hetherington. “We also run the TDRPD’s [Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District] table tennis program at the Vets Hall on Thursday nights from 6 to 8 p.m.”
In 2004, Hetherington expanded her involvement in the community. Because her knowledge about infrastructure gave her plenty of insight into how property taxes were being used in Truckee, she was naturally drawn to becoming more involved in the town.
“Most folks do not realize that a portion of their Placer and Nevada property taxes go to the airport,” said Hetherington. “My view has always been that we need a safe airport that benefits all the community rather than subsidizing only direct users.”
Hetherington ran for the airport board in 2004, along with two other non-pilots. Once elected, she served three terms through 2016 with a focus on community benefits like funding for local fire, the Truckee Library, and other projects that help the region.
In 2018, two board members were going to be reappointed with goals to expand the airport, and so Hetherington decided to run for re-election. She has been on the Truckee Tahoe Airport Board ever since, her current term ending this December.
Hetherington’s presence at airport board meetings has been consistent, along with the blue binder full of documents containing the entire history of the Truckee Tahoe Airport that accompanies her. Her passion is ensuring that airport funds benefit the community.
Outraged by the violations of civil rights and the dismantling of the U.S. government that began after President Trump took office in January 2025, starting last February, Hetherington and four other like-minded people began gathering at the Victory Eagle sculpture in downtown Truckee every Saturday to oppose the administration.
“Our impetus was when the woman voicing her opinion was dragged out of a public meeting in Idaho by unidentified security operatives,” Hetherington said.
She emphasized that she prefers the word “gathering” over “protest,” and that she wants every Saturday to be a “celebration of hope” and a positive experience for her community. Hetherington has only missed a handful of them when she was out of town.
The gatherings at the eagle have not missed a week since the first one, rain or shine, from 2 to 3 p.m. Whether it’s 20, 300, or sometimes even 1,000 for protests like the No Kings rallies, “the gatherings serve as a reminder that we as individuals must participate to keep our democracy healthy,” said Hetherington.
“Gatherings often seem bleak while scrolling, but in person they inspire hope,” she said. “The homemade signs that participants bring are so creative, thought provoking, and often amusing.”
For Hetherington, these occasions are more than expressions of the moment — they are part of a larger effort to strengthen community involvement.
“I believe that each of us is a thread in the fabric that builds a community,” said Hetherington. “With 17 special districts in our region, it is easy to get involved and make your voice heard.”
Hetherington has become a clearinghouse for community politics. She sends out weekly emails to over 400 recipients full of action items, often including information about upcoming protests, political changes both locally and nationally, upcoming public meetings, and information on other ways to contribute as a community member.
On a local level, she says that our individual input is vitally important. Hetherington believes consistency is powerful and her community involvement has been nothing short of that.
