A fixture in Columbia city government for nearly 30 years is retiring from local office next week, closing out her aldermanic career having placed much of her focus on building and improving the community’s public spaces.

Mary Ellen Niemietz has been a Columbia resident all her life, her family having some deep roots in the community.

After graduating from Columbia High School, she attended Belleville Area College – now Southwestern Illinois College – for an associate’s degree in horticulture. She also received a bachelor’s degree in workforce education at Southern Illinois University College in Carbondale, looking to teach in her field.

Professionally, Niemietz said a major part of her career was starting a landscape design service, getting started in the field by working at area nurseries.

She further recalled teaching at SWIC, additionally serving as a substitute teacher in the Columbia School District for a time.

Niemietz said her professional interests stemmed largely from high school experiences. She recalled the inspiration she felt from a number of teachers during her academic career, also mentioning a part-time job at a local florist and greenhouse.

With over 40 years in the field, she said her work nowadays is centered around horticultural volunteering.

Her career in local politics began back in 1992 as then-mayor John Coats asked her to participate in a comprehensive plan workshop.

As she said, the process piqued her interest as she found some of the organization and communication skills she’d developed to be quite useful.

Additionally, with her family’s background in Columbia, Niemietz felt a drive to contribute to the community she’d long called home.

“I found that to be very interesting, and I could see that some of the skills that I had to use in my work applied into local politics,” Niemietz said. “It’s something where I felt that, we raised our family here, three sons here, a very good community, safe, good schools, good people, lot of volunteerism, and it was a way to run and move forward with the community and give back to what it had been for me for my parents and grandparents also.”

Thus she began her career as alderman, and she wound up holding her position for 28 years, leading up to her upcoming final day in office on May 5.

Holding a great passion for Columbia in general, she said one of her largest interests was historic preservation.

She recalled that her original and enduring political platform was hardly just focused on the past, however.

“I was just passionate about so many things in the community, but what I ran on was ‘preserve the past, secure the present, plan the future,’ and that’s what I continued to do for 28 years,” Niemietz said.

She spoke about how, with somewhat limited resources, the aldermen in her early years each wound up having a particular specialty in the community, and Niemietz’s niche was green spaces and public locales in the city.

“A passion for green space and pedestrian and bicycle ways…” Niemietz said. “I did not see a lot of that in Columbia at the time. Because I was a planner and a designer, I put together a greenway action plan.”

Niemietz placed great emphasis on the work that was done in this area over the past 30 years, with bicycle and pedestrian pathways and the particularly notable GM&O Heritage Trail.

She also referenced her work with Heartlands Conservancy, particularly back in the 2000s.

Her work in building and bettering Columbia’s green spaces and public pathways is particularly close to her heart, though she still appreciates the many areas she’s had to work in during her tenure.

“Of course, being an alderman, it did involve so many other things,” Niemietz said. “There’s just so much involved in your constituents and budgets, all those aspects of it. Creating something that people can enjoy in their free time, to share with friends and family, maintain healthy lifestyles, I think I’m most proud of that.”

Niemietz also offered comment on another passion for her as an alderman, that being the development of a memorial for local veteran Robert Holden, whom the community lost during the Vietnam War.

She voiced her appreciation for the Columbia American Legion, also thanking the folks in the community who generously contributed the bench in his honor by the GM&O Trail.

Niemietz further spoke about some of the difficulties she’s dealt with beside her colleagues on the city council and the staff at City Hall, recalling how Columbia was able to get through the 2008 financial crisis primarily as the city had good people in place to help weather the storm.

She expressed a similar sentiment regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, also noting how just about any discussion of development in the community has tended to pose a challenge, though she and her colleagues have persevered nevertheless over the years.

On her approach to city government, Niemietz said she’s always strived to approach any issue having informed herself as much as possible.

She said that, while she’s undoubtedly upset just about everybody at some point during her time in office, she’s always tried to consider the good of the community as a whole.

“I’ve tried to gather as much information, research as much as possible, and make a decision based on the good of the whole,” Niemietz said. “I’ve tried to always remain focused on what is good for all. That is sometimes a very hard job, very difficult.”

As Niemietz looks back on her own career – bemoaning the decades of paperwork she’s now tackling as she organizes documents from before all her work went digital – other city officials also offered their thoughts on her time as an alderman.

A press release from the city places special emphasis on her contributions to public spaces in the community, including the GM&O Heritage Trail, as well as her efforts toward the development of Creekside Park.

Her contributions to the city council as a forward-thinking and thoughtful alderman are also noted, as are the many hats she’s worn during her time in public office.

Niemietz has served as chairman of the Parks, Playground and Recreation Committee; Personnel Committee; Executive and Rules Committee and the Committee of the Whole. She’s also worked as a member of the Ordinance, Planning and Zoning Committee; Streets, Sidewalks, Drainage and Public Utilities Committee and the Refuse Collection and Recycling Committee.

The release also notes her work outside City Hall, from contributions to the Monroe County Coalition for Drug-Free Communities to the Monroe County YMCA as well as the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail Coalition.

Columbia Mayor Bob Hill spoke to her many contributions to the community.

“Alderman Niemietz has been a steadfast pillar of our community for nearly three decades,” Hill said. “Her dedication, integrity, and tireless commitment to public service have left an enduring legacy. We are grateful for the leadership she’s shown and the positive impact she’s made in the lives of so many. On behalf of the city, I thank her for her 28 years of outstanding service as Alderman.”

Columbia City Administrator Doug Brimm also spoke to her efforts and the role she’s played in the city over decades.

“Mary Ellen’s involvement in the city has spanned many pivotal moments in Columbia’s history,” Brimm said. “Her willingness to share insights, ask thoughtful questions and challenge assumptions has been invaluable in shaping meaningful ordinances, policies and overall strategy. Her deep institutional knowledge — something not always readily available in municipal government — and attention to detail  has consistently ensured the city’s approach to important issues is both focused and well-crafted.”

Now looking to the future, that press release also notes Niemietz’ intentions to continue supporting the city as a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.

Niemietz herself spoke highly about the future of Columbia with the folks that are currently leading and taking care of the city.

“I feel the future looks bright,” Niemietz said. “We have leadership here and a team of employees, which I have to always stress because I’ve had a touch of human resources in my teaching background, that is our greatest asset to carry out the plans.”

She further noted that, while she’s retiring from public office, she has every intention of helping to make her hometown even better for years to come.

“My passions remain in those areas, the historic preservations, the pedestrian connectivity and the greenways, the parks,” Niemietz said. “I don’t expect to disappear. I will still be very, very passionate about those things in the future.”