Mayor Virg Bernero has many years of experience as a public servant, having served as a legislative aide in Michigan's House of Representatives and Senate, as an Ingham County Commissioner and as State Representative and Senator for the Lansing area.  On November 8, 2005 he was elected Mayor of Lansing, a position he assumed on January 1, 2006.

Mayor Bernero's career in government began in 1987 with the Michigan House of Representatives, where he served as a legislative analyst for House Speakers Gary Owen and Lewis Dodak. Taking a slight detour in 1989, Bernero served a stint as a consumer advocate with the Michigan Citizens Lobby, then the state's largest grass-roots advocacy organization.  In 1991 he was sworn in as Ingham County Commissioner, where he represented south Lansing for eight years. That same year he went to work for the Michigan State Senate and became Chief Legislative Aide to Senator Jim Berryman (D-Adrian).  He later served as a Development Officer for Alma College and as Executive Director of the Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders (MACED) a United Way advocacy group for children's mental health.

A leading advocate for mental health and children's services, Mayor Bernero has been active in a wide variety of civic affairs and human service issues.  He is a past board member of the Capital Area Girl Scout Council and served on the Clinton-Eaton-Ingham Community Mental Health Board, Capital Area Community Services Board of Directors and the Michigan Association of Counties Human Services Board.   He was recognized by the Michigan Association of School Psychologists in November, 2003 for his exemplary advocacy on behalf of Michigan's children. In August 2004, the Michigan Association for Local Public Health presented him with the "Friend of Public Health" advocacy award.

After one term in the Michigan House of Representatives, Mayor Bernero was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2002, where he served as Minority Vice Chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee and as a member of three additional standing committees (Judiciary, Technology and Energy, and Local, Urban and State Affairs).

Mayor Bernero is a 1986 graduate of Adrian College were he received his B.A. in Political Science with honors.  He received the Young Alumni Award for outstanding achievement from his alma mater in 2004.  He resides in Lansing with his wife Teri and their daughters, Kelly and Virginia. 

Mayor Virg Bernero
City of Lansing
City Hall, 9th Floor
124 W. Michigan Avenue
Lansing, Michigan 48933-1694
517: 483-4141/Office
517: 483-6066/Fax
mayor@ci.lansing.mi.us