Mary B. Verner (born August 13, 1956) is an American politician who served as the 42nd Mayor of
Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...
from 2007 to 2011.
Early life and education
Originally from
Fitzgerald, Georgia, Verner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
from
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...
, earned her
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. ...
degree in
environmental management from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, and a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
degree from
Gonzaga University School of Law.
Career
She has served as Executive Director of the
Upper Columbia United Tribes
Upper Columbia United Tribes includes the Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Kalispel, Colville Confederated, Lakes-Okanogan tribes in Washington, Idaho and Montana, United States.
One of the founding members was Amelia Trice, chairwoman of the Kootenai T ...
.
She was the third woman to become mayor of Spokane and the first woman since a