Joanne Verger

Joanne Verger is an Oregon Democratic politician and the first female mayor of Coos Bay, the largest city on the Oregon Coast, serving four terms. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2001 to 2004, and was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 2004. She was reelected in 2008 with no major party opponent in either the primary or general election.
In October 2011 Verger announced that she would not run for reelection to the Senate.
She is co-owner of an automobile dealership, and has worked extensively in advertising and marketing.
She is a graduate of Amite High School (Louisiana), Northwestern State University, and Louisiana State University.
Verger has won a number of awards, including the Human Rights Award in 1991.