Quick Facts
Biography
Mary Verner (born August 13, 1956) is the former mayor of Spokane, Washington.
Education
Originally from Fitzgerald, Georgia, Verner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Davidson College, earned her Master of Arts degree in environmental management from Yale University, and a law degree from Gonzaga University. She has served as Executive Director of the Upper Columbia United Tribes. She was the third woman to become mayor of Spokane and the first woman since a Mayor-Council program was instituted in the place of a previous Council-Manager system.
City service
Verner served on the City Council for four years before becoming mayor. Originally appointed to the council, Verner was subsequently elected to the position from which she ran for Mayor against an incumbent, Dennis Hession. Verner won with 53% of the vote, becoming Spokane's 43rd mayor on November 27, 2007. She was the city's fifth mayor in eight years.