Mary Wilcox was born and raised in Ashland. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon in 1976, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. Wilcox received her J.D. in 1980 from the University of Oregon School of Law and New York University School of Law. She is currently vice president and director for Capital Realty Corp., a family-owned real estate and financial investment company. Wilcox began her career as an attorney and partner with Portland law firm Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt. She served five years as general counsel for the Northwest Aluminum Company in The Dalles; eight years as chief executive officer, president and director of an Arizona-based branch of Capital Realty Corp.; and was co-founder and served a year as executive director of the Center for Health Promotion Research at the Oregon Health & Science University. Wilcox has served in leadership positions on the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations including The Oregon Community Foundation; the Oregon Children’s Foundation, which does business as SMART (Start Making a Reader Today); and the OHSU Foundation, OHSU Center for Women’s Health and OHSU Women's Health Conference. She also serves as a trustee for the Pioneer Courthouse Square and is a former board member for the Memorial Athletic & Recreation Complex, Catlin Gabel School, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage and Edgefield Children's Center.