Gov. Phil Bredesen has appointed Bill Mason of Greenbriar, Tn., to fill the post of director of community affairs.
Mr. Mason, who joined the governor's staff in November, worked with Al Gore for more than 16 years and was one of the longest-serving members of the former Vice President's staff. In his new role, he is charged with identifying emerging issues of importance to state constituencies.
He will oversee the governor's office of Constituent Services and the Boards and Commissions office.
"Bill Mason brings an in-depth knowledge of constituent services and more than 30 years of government experience to this position," said Gov. Bredesen. "His role in keeping me informed and helping me respond to concerns of citizens across the state makes Bill an extremely important member of our team, and he has already made a virtually seamless transition into this very critical area of our operations."
Prior to his appointment to the governor's staff, Mr. Mason was chief of staff to Congressman Bob Clement from 1999 to 2003. He also served as chief executive officer for the Tennessee Alternative Educators Association, which is a statewide nonprofit association composed of educators, counselors and administrators working in public alternative schools.
Most recently, he served as executive director of Tennessee Citizen Action, a statewide nonprofit association based in Nashville advocating for economic justice for all Tennesseans in their dealings with businesses, professionals and government.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve Gov. Bredesen in this capacity," said Mr. Mason. "I appreciate the confidence he has shown in me, and I look forward to working with other members of his administration in advancing his core initiatives and continuing to build strong, working relationships with state government among members of his constituency."
Mr. Mason, a Murfreesboro native, is a graduate of Trevecca Nazarene College of Nashville. He and his wife, Cynthia, have lived in Robertson County for the past eight years.