MANSFIELD — Kim Hildreth spent the last three decades educating, motivating and teaching Mansfield residents about nearly every topic imaginable.
Hildreth is renowned for her work organizing and leading city projects such as the Shade Tree Commission, Tree City USA, America in Bloom, Mansfield in Bloom, Earth Stewardship, Mansfield Area Beautification, Save Our Streams, Safe Routes to School, Operation Clean Sweep and the city’s municipal stormwater program.
Hildreth has long been the Pied Piper on local environmental issues, combining inspiration, perspiration and dedication.
She offered one more crucial piece of advice on Tuesday night as she retired from the city of Mansfield after a 31-year career.
It was perhaps the most personal message of her storied tenure.
Breast cancer awareness.
“I hesitated whether I would (say this) or not. As most of you have noticed, I look a little different. I have a hat on today and I’m wearing a mask.
“The reason why I’m going to tell you what is going on, if you have not heard yet, is because I think there’s an extremely strong message that needs to be sent out,” Hildreth said.
“In January, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Currently I’m undergoing chemotherapy. We’ll be doing that until hopefully the end of May, if I don’t have to skip anything,” she told local lawmakers, who unanimously approved a resolution honoring her work for the community.
“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. When you talk about women in the community, I stand on the shoulders of many women who are my mentors, but also I stand on the shoulders of many survivors of breast cancer,” she said.
She talked about the importance of yearly mammograms. But she also stressed the need for women to do their own monthly exams at home.
“I did have a mammogram at the end of July (2025) and it was clear. In November, I found a tumor,” said Hildreth, joined at the meeting by her husband, John Hildreth, a retired longtime administrator of the Richland Soil & Water Conservation District.
“Do those monthly breast exams because one of the things that I have discovered is there are more women than many of you realize who actually find out (they have cancer) between mammograms by doing those monthly exams,” she said.
“I encourage you to please tell your friends, your family, your sisters, your daughters, everybody, get the word out that it’s so extremely important to do those monthly exams,” Hildreth said.
‘She was the person that would go over and above and get the job done’
She began her career with the city on March 20, 1995, serving as a program coordinator with litter control, ultimately becoming a project planner in the engineering department.
City engineer Bob Bianchi praised her work Tuesday evening, saying she served as “a role model as a public servant.”
“She was the person that would go over and above and get the job done and do her absolute best,” he said.
He told lawmakers about her impact when he began in the city engineer’s office in 2007.
“Kim was doing the Safe Routes to School program. That was a very rigorous program funded by the federal government through ODOT and she had to get this program up and running,” Bianchi said.
It’s a program that provides resources, technical assistance and funding to encourage and enable students in grades K-12 to walk or ride their bike to school.
“What people don’t know is that she worked hundreds of hours over her 40-hour work week for free to get that done. That’s who Kim was in her career here at the city,” Bianchi said.
He also spoke of her work in leading the effort with the city’s stormwater permit with the EPA.
“When we were tasked by the EPA with our stormwater permit, they said, ‘You have got to take this seriously. You’ve got a permit to handle.’
“There was no one better than Kim to give that job to and she did it with perfection. We never got in trouble with the EPA. She kept us out.
“Kim, you just worked so hard and did such a great job with the city, and you’re going to be missed,” Bianchi said.
‘She did show me what being a part of the community is about’
Mayor Jodie Perry said she met Hildreth when she came to the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development in 2014.
“I had the chance and opportunity to get involved with your stewardship for many years. When I became mayor, you were always a friendly face and encouraging to me when I ran into you. I just really appreciate your work ethic and truly your care for the community,” Perry said.
At-large Council member Shari Robertson, a retired Mansfield police captain, recalled meeting Hildreth when she was just a young officer and sharing a community policing office with her.
“We had a lot of great times. I can tell you that when she talks about mentors, Kim was a mentor to me because as a young officer and, and being actually very inexperienced at that time to come into the community, she did show me what being a part of the community is about,” Robertson said.
Michael Miranda, who represents the 1st Ward, also praised Hildreth, whom he met in 1999.
“I was new to the community and like you said, a lot of people have the little negative things we have to say about our community, but we have a tremendous loving community. They come together,” Miranda said.
“Coming together, it takes somebody that’s that spark, as you mentioned, because it starts with that spark and that’s how that fire gets going. You’ve always been that spark that gets that fire rolling and going and you’re one of the great pillars of our community,” he said.
(Below is the resolution City Council approved Tuesday honoring Kim Hildreth.)
‘None of us get through any of this by ourselves’
Hildreth thanked lawmakers and the city administration for the resolution.
“There are simply no words to describe. I tried to earlier to express the privilege I have had and the honor to work for the city of Mansfield for the past 31 years.
“There are so many cliches that can be said. But I’m so very thankful for all the mentors and all the people who have been a part of my journey and my career. If I started to name off all those people, I would forget somebody. So I’m not going to do that,” she said.
“But none of us get through any of this by ourselves. And when I say how kind it was for you to put that legislation out there, none of these accomplishments were because of Kim Hildreth.
“It was because of people working together. I’ve said for many, many years that Richland County is truly a wonderful place to live. We were named Richland County because there were rich soil, but the bottom line is we are truly rich in the people who live and work here.”
