From: Subject: Official Biography of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 13:17:16 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://us.gallerywatch.com/docs/news/us/agdocs/multipage/RVeep/PalinBio.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3350 Official Biography of Alaska Governor Sarah = Palin

Official Biography of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Governor Sarah Palin made history on Dec. 4, 2006, when she took = office. As=20 the 11th governor of Alaska, she is the first woman to hold the = office.

Since taking office, her top priorities have been resource = development,=20 education and workforce development, public health and safety, and=20 transportation and infrastructure development.

Under her leadership, Alaska invested $5 billion in state savings, = overhauled=20 education funding, and implemented the Senior Benefits Program that = provides=20 support for low-income older Alaskans. She created Alaska=92s Petroleum = Systems=20 Integrity Office to provide oversight and maintenance of oil and gas = equipment,=20 facilities and infrastructure, and the Climate Change Subcabinet to = prepare a=20 climate change strategy for Alaska.

During her first legislative session, Governor Palin=92s = administration passed=20 two major pieces of legislation =96 an overhaul of the state=92s ethics = laws and a=20 competitive process to construct a gas pipeline.

Governor Palin is chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact = Commission, a=20 multi-state government agency that promotes the conservation and = efficient=20 recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting = health,=20 safety and the environment. She was recently named chair of the National = Governors Association (NGA) Natural Resources Committee, which is = charged with=20 pursuing legislation to ensure state needs are considered as federal = policy is=20 formulated in the areas of agriculture, energy, environmental protection = and=20 natural resource management. Prior to being named to this position, she = served=20 as co-chair of this committee.

Prior to her election as governor, Palin served two terms on the = Wasilla City=20 Council and two terms as the mayor/manager of Wasilla. During her = tenure, she=20 reduced property tax levels while increasing services and made Wasilla a = business friendly environment, drawing in new industry.

She has served as chair of the Alaska Conservation Commission, which=20 regulates Alaska's most valuable non-renewable resources: oil and gas. = She was=20 elected by her peers to serve as president of the Alaska Conference of = Mayors.=20 In this role, she worked with local, state and federal officials to = promote=20 solutions to the needs of Alaska's communities.

Sarah Heath Palin = arrived=20 in Alaska with her family in 1964, when her parents came to teach school = in=20 Skagway. She received a bachelor of science degree in = communications-journalism=20 from the University of Idaho in 1987. Palin, who graduated from Wasilla = High=20 School in 1982, has lived in Skagway, Eagle River and Wasilla.

She is married to Todd Palin, who is a lifelong Alaskan, a production = operator on the North Slope and a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, = the=20 world's longest snowmachine race.

Todd and Sarah fish in Bristol Bay with their children =96 Track, = Bristol,=20 Willow, Piper and Trig. Through Todd=92s Yup'ik grandmother, Alaska=92s = Native=20 heritage plays an important role in their family. Track enlisted in the = U.S.=20 Army on Sept. 11, 2007.

Prior to taking office, Palin served on numerous boards and = commissions=20 throughout the state. She was active in her family=92s pursuits =96 = including=20 serving as a sports team mom and school volunteer. She also runs = marathons.

Palin is a lifetime member of the NRA and enjoys hunting, fishing, = Alaska=20 history, and all that Alaska's great outdoors has to = offer.