Joan Kerr Sturgeon (née Ferguson, born 23 October 1952) is a Scottish politician and former dental nurse who served as the Provost of North Ayrshire from 2012 to 2016. She served on the North Ayrshire council from 2007 to 2017, representing the Irvine East ward. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she is the mother of the party's leader and First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon.