About Jean

Jean Cowan is a life-long Oregonian.  She was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2006, having had over 20 prior years of experience in local government and public service.

During her first term, Jean used her 12 years of experience as a Lincoln County Commissioner, and 7 years as Elgin Mayor and City Councilor, to work for the citizens of the central Oregon coast.  For example, she authored legislation to help protect Oregon’s innovative long-term care system for seniors and people with disabilities as Chair of the House Subcommittee on Seniors & People with Disabilities. 

Jean also serves as Vice-Chair on two House committees: the House Committee on Rural Policy and the House Committee on Emergency Preparedness & Ocean Policy.  Her current other committee assignments include: the House Committee on Human Services & Women’s Wellness, the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services, and the Governor’s Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse Programs.

Jean helped to pass Oregon’s first rainy day savings account to prevent essential services from being cut during the next economic downturn and an increase in funding for education.  Jean will continue to champion issues for Oregon’s working families, kids, and seniors.

While serving as Lincoln County Commissioner, Jean served on the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Council, the Oregon Health Council, the Oregon Public Health Advisory Board, and numerous other statewide boards and commissions.  Throughout the past 25 years Jean worked with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters to produce in-depth studies on education policy, and she also served on the bipartisan Boards of Directors for both the League of Oregon Cities and the Association of Oregon Counties.

Jean has a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Marylhurst College. She has worked as a medical assistant, emergency medical technician, newspaper editor, and school bus driver.  In the community service arena, Jean has: organized three cooperative preschool programs, been involved in adult recreational sports leagues, helped organize Elgin’s volunteer ambulance service and rural health clinic, and taken leadership on a variety of other collaborative, coalition-building community efforts.

Jean lives in Newport with her husband Pat, who is a retired educator.  They have two grown children and three grandchildren, all living in Oregon.  Jean and Pat enjoy attending community events, traveling, playing with their three dogs, and spending time on their boat on Yaquina Bay.