Jane O'Meara Sanders

Mary Jane Sanders (née O'Meara, formerly Driscoll; born January 3, 1950) is an American social worker, college administrator, activist, and political strategist. She was provost and interim president of Goddard College from 1996 to 1997 and president of Burlington College from 2004 to 2011. In 2017, Sanders founded the think tank The Sanders Institute. She has been married to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders since 1988. She has also served as first lady of Burlington, Vermont during her second husband's term as mayor.

Early life, education, and personal life Sanders was born Mary Jane O'Meara on January 3, 1950, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York City, as one of the five children of Bernadette Joan (Sheridan) and Benedict P. O'Meara. She is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic. She attended Catholic schools, including Saint Saviour High School, before attending the University of Tennessee. O'Meara dropped out of school and moved back to Brooklyn with her first husband, David Driscoll. Carina Driscoll, and David Driscoll from her marriage with Driscoll, who were later adopted by Sanders.

O'Meara finished her college degree at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, with a bachelor's in social work.

Career Early in her career, Sanders worked in the Juvenile Division of the Burlington Police Department, then was a community organizer with the King Street Area Youth Center, and then was a volunteer with AmeriCorps VISTA.

From 2004 through 2011, Sanders was president of Burlington College, a small liberal arts college founded in 1972 for non-traditional students. It closed due to financial problems in 2016.

Sanders was instrumental in founding the Sanders Institute, a progressive think tank that launched in June 2017, and is one of its 11 original fellows. Like the other fellows, she does not receive payment for her work, although she does receive compensation for travel expenses.

She has served in Sanders's Congressional office as Chief of Staff and as Policy and Press Adviser,

Burlington College presidency

In 2004, Sanders was named President of Burlington College, a private, non-profit liberal arts school founded in 1972 in Vermont.

In 2011, the College's Board of Trustees, while crediting Sanders with acquiring a permanent campus for the 200‑student college, called a meeting for September 2011 and accepted Sanders's resignation. "We reached a decision which I believe is best for both the College and me," Sanders said after the meeting, "The board and I have different visions for the future and that's perfectly fine." On departure, she received the title of President Emeritus and a $200,000 severance, consisting of one year's pay, along with certain retirement and bonus payments. With the College unable to collect on some promised pledges after Sanders had resigned, and the enrollment increase plans failing, the Diocese settled the loan debt with the College in 2015 for $996,000, less than the agreed amount, and with $1 million of the repayment made in shares of an unidentified LLC company.