About GL

Gina-Louise Sciarra (she/her/hers) is proudly serving as the 45th Mayor of the City of Northampton. She was elected in November 2021. Prior to serving as the city’s Chief Executive Officer, GL served four terms as a City Councilor, three terms as Ward 4 City Councilor from 2013 to 2019, and her fourth term as City Councilor At-Large. In 2017, her City Council colleagues unanimously elected GL Vice President of the Council, then in 2019 they unanimously elevated her to Council President. 

During her time on the Council, GL served in many leadership positions in addition to Council President and Vice President. She chaired the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Community Resources, was the vice-chair of the Committee on Legislative Matters and the Transportation and Parking Commission.

Before serving as mayor, in her other professional capacity GL was the communications manager for Pathlight — the parent organization for several programs, including Whole Children, Milestones, Autism Connections, and Family Empowerment, which provide services and enrichment programs for people in western Massachusetts with developmental and intellectual disabilities and/or who have autism.

GL’s prior professional experience has spanned academia, development, and community preservation. After working for the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, she earned a Master of Philosophy in sociology, studying gender and racial inequality in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Before running for office herself in Northampton, she was the Major Gifts Officer for the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, and the Capital Campaign Manager for the successful $2 million effort to repair and restore the historic First Churches of Northampton building and community space.

Gina-Louise Sciarra

GL has loved Northampton since her years at Smith College (‘96), and returned to settle here because she knew it was where she wanted to start her family. She soon became actively involved in the Northampton community.

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In 2007, GL started Knitting Liberally, as a partner group to the Drinking Liberally political social club that her husband, Bill, started in Northampton. Since 2016, she has been the Ward 4 Chair for the Northampton Democratic City Committee, with which she worked on the very successful Take Back the House summit and regional organizing campaign for the 2018 midterm elections, as well as the Take Back Our Democracy effort for the 2020 election cycle.

She lives with her husband and their two daughters who attend Northampton Public Schools. They also share their home with two rambunctious and lovable cats and a dog who will absolutely kiss your face if you let her.