Anna Peterson

Anna M. Peterson (; born May 30, 1947) is an American politician who served as Mayor of Salem, the state capital of Oregon, from 2011 until 2016. She is married to Edwin J. Peterson, who was Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1983 until 1991. A Republican, and the third woman to hold the non-partisan office, Peterson became mayor on January 11, 2011, when she succeeded Janet Taylor. Early life and education Anna M. Peterson was born on May 30, 1947, to Harry and Eve Chadwick. Harry met Eve in England during World War II. Peterson, the second of two children, was born in Corvallis, Oregon, where her parents had moved after her father returned from serving in the war, so that he could attend college. The family moved to Portland, Oregon, where her father became a firefighter for Portland Fire and Rescue. Her parents divorced when she was 5, and her mother remarried to a man who worked in a lumber mill. Despite her mother working several jobs, the family faced extreme poverty. She graduated from Roosevelt High School and married soon after. The marriage, which produced one child, ended in divorce. In 1971, Peterson married attorney Edwin J. Peterson, who had two children from a previous marriage. Peterson started college at Portland State University at age 28, while also working as a homemaker. It was at this time that Peterson became involved in Multnomah County politics as a young Republican. The Petersons moved to Salem after Edwin was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court in 1979. Peterson commuted from Salem to the University of Oregon (UO) in Eugene and received her Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from the UO in 1984. Career Early career From 1984 to 1987, Peterson was the director of development and alumni relations for the University of Oregon School of Law in Eugene. From 1987 to 1990, she was the development and marketing director of the Garten Foundation (today Garten Services, Inc.), which aids people with developmental disabilities and long-term mental illness. From 1990 to 1992, she owned a marketing and public relations firm, Successful Results with Anna Peterson. She managed the printing division of the Oregon agriculture weekly Capital Press from 1992 to 1997. In 2002, Peterson served as campaign manager for Janet Taylor's successful bid for mayor of Salem. Peterson and Taylor became friends while they served on the SEDCOR board of directors.