Beverly Masek

Beverly L. "Bev" Masek (née Jerue), born September 30, 1963) is a Native American, former dog sled racer, politician and businesswoman.

Career

Beverly Jerue was born in Anvik, Alaska and graduated from Anvik High School. "Bev" and her husband Jan Masek, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia, owned a racing dog kennel, a lodge, and she was a bookkeeper. She was active in dog sled racing from the early 1980s to the early 1990s, competing five times in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and finishing the race four times, including 21st in 1991 and 23rd the next year. She served in the Alaska House of Representatives as a Republican 1995-2005.[1][2] Masek won an open seat in an election year where the remaining legislative contests in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley all saw Democratic incumbents lose to their Republican challengers, including Jalmar M. Kerttula, who lost his Senate seat to Lyda Green. Kerttula was the all-time longest-serving member of the Alaska Legislature at 32 years.

Masek missed 29 floor sessions in 2001 -- the highest absentee rate in the House -- and was gone for another 16 sessions the next year. She was in the hallway when a key budget vote was cast on the House floor in 2002. Masek was chairwoman of the House Resources Committee and was notable for being an Alaska Native lawmaker opposed to a constitutional amendment granting a rural subsistence priority. Rep. Pete Kott, R-Eagle River, who was vying to be the next House speaker, gave Masek $500 and she received $1,500 from executives with VECO Corp., which was involved in trying to build a for-profit prison in Alaska, and Anchorage architecture firm Koonce Pfeffer and Bettis, which was tabbed to design the prospective prison. Rep. Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla, moved to his parents' home to avoid a primary fight with Masek after portions of their districts were combined.[3]

In 2009, Masek pleaded guilty in the Alaska political corruption probe[4] and was sentenced to six months in prison with three years probation.[5] Kott, VECO CEO Bill Allen and his Vice President Rick Smith, as well as Khoring and Kott, were all sentenced to federal prison in the scandal.

References

  1. ↑ Alaska 1998 Official Election Pamphlet-Beverly L. Masek
  2. ↑ Votesmart.org-Beverly Masek
  3. ↑ Masek back in her district with days left in the campaign, Peninsula Clarion, Mike Chambers (A.P.), August 22, 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Masek pleads guilty to conspiracy, awaits sentencing
  5. ↑ 'Judge shows leniency in Masek corruption case', Anchorage Daily News, Richard Mauer, 24 September 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2013.

External links


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