Whitney Mason

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Current revision as of 07:33, 4 August 2007

Whitney Mason
Governor
In Office: 2013 - Present
Constituency	Appalachia
Preceded by	Peter Vandenberg
Succeeded by
Born	May 4, 1965 Faith, North Carolina
Political Party	Democrat
Spouse	Diana McGillicutty Mason
Religion	Christian (United Methodist)

Whitney Mason (born May 4, 1965) is Governor and former Democratic Leader of Appalachia.

[edit] Early Life

Whitney was born in Faith, North Carolina on May 4, 1965 to Dudley Mason, a trucker, and Lucinda Rossiter Mason, a textile factory worker. Upon his graduation from Salisbury High School in 1983, Whitney attended the Appalachian State University on a basketball scholarship where he majored in Geography, served as President of the College Democrats, and Editor of the Appalachian.

After graduating with honors, Whitney signed on for three years with the Air Force and received a Masters in International Development Policy from Duke University two years after completing his service. While attending Duke, he met a young law student named Diana McGillicutty, who he married three years later.

[edit] Public Service

While working towards his Masters, Whitney took a job in the Chapel Hill Town Manager's office where he worked for six years until he ran for a seat on the Chapel Hill Town Council. His son, Sacha (named for Whitney's grandfather), was born three weeks after he was elected to the Town Council where he championed major city revitalization projects and sustainable development standards and was urged to run for a seat in the Appalachia legislature in the middle of his second term by the town's mayor, who had declined to run for the seat.

He was thrice reelected to the legislature before becoming leader of the Democratic Caucus in 2008. His wife gave birth to triplets, Faith, Hope, and Charity, in early 2008 and, in 2010, he led his party to majority status and currently serves as Majority Leader.

In November 2012, he defeated incumbent Peter Vandenberg in his bid to become Governor of Appalachia.

[edit] Books

Whitney is the author of two books:

Faith, Family, and Freedom: The Democratic Party's Fight for Rural America (2011)
Author's Net Income: $690,000
"Throughout his ten years of public service, Whitney Mason has led the fight for a Democratic revival in rural America. In this book, he chronicles how the Democrats lost hold of the rural domination they held for half a century and what they must do to get it back. While documenting the triumphs and failures of the Democrats and the betrayal of rural America by the Republicans, he also tells of his personal fight that has led to a renewal of the Democratic majority in Appalachia."

Home (2013)
Author's Net Income: 300,000
"It's Harry Potter meets Dante's Inferno is this children's book by Appalachia Governor Whitney Mason. The book tells the story of Mattie Taylor, a seven year old girl, as she journey's through four worlds-- each representing a fantastical version of an environmentally degraded future-- to try to get back home."

A Prayer on Good Friday (2014)
Author's Net Income: N/A
"In this insider's account of the Good Friday attacks, Governor Whitney Mason reveals what went on behind the scenes on the day that terrorists targetted both America and the Christian faith. The book speaks primarily from a spiritual viewpoint as Mason writes on the role that faith can play in guiding leaders through a major crisis and the need for principled faith in America's battle with religious extremism."

[edit] Miscellaneous Facts

Whitney is of English and Russian ancestry. His wife, Diana, is of Irish, Italian, and Iranian ancestry.

Whitney speaks fluent Russian and is proficient in Spanish and Italian.

Whitney has been a member of Evergreen United Methodist Church since 1990 and ran the church's food pantry from 1993 until he was elected to the state legislature in 2002.

Whitney is an avid basketball player and spent six years coaching each of the little league basketball teams his son, Sacha, played on.

Whitney is a Benefactor member of the National Rifle Association.

[edit] 2012 Election

[edit] External Links

• Biography
• Press Office