Region 12 Director and Foundation Board Vice-Chairman

Mason, vice chairman of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, is the mayor of Zanesville. Mason entered politics as a write-in candidate for Zanesville City Council in 1979 and served on the council through 1983, the same year he was elected mayor at age 26. Previously, Mason worked as chief of the Division of Oil and Gas for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and as a member of the Hazardous Waste Facilities Board. As ODNR deputy director, Mason supervised the divisions of Parks, Forestry, Watercraft, Natural Areas and Preserves, and Wildlife. Mason has also represented Ohio on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and served two terms as a commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Mason earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Muskingum University, where he was also the school’s first NCAA All-American wrestler, and later earned his law degree from Capital University.

 Mason sees his service on the board as an opportunity to help his often-overlooked part of Ohio: “The most pressing issue in my community is addressing homelessness, mental health and substance abuse issues.”