Mason Whipps
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12 May 1973
Mason Whipps | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Senate of Palau | |
| Assumed office January 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mason Ngirchechebangel Whipps 12 May 1973 |
| Party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Joy Wong (m. 1997) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Surangel S. Whipps (father) Marilyn C. Whipps (mother) |
| Relatives | Surangel Whipps Jr. (brother) Eric Ksau Whipps (brother) Yrang McCarty (sister) |
| Education | Walla Walla University (BS) |
| Occupation | Businessman, politician |
Mason Ngirchechebangel Whipps (born 12 May 1973) is a Palauan politician and businessman serving as a Senator since 2013. A member of the Independent party, he is also the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Surangel and Sons Company, the largest private employer in Palau.[1]
Whipps previously served as Governor of Ngatpang State and as Speaker of the Airai State Legislature. He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Born in Palau on 12 May 1973, Mason Whipps is the second son of Surangel S. Whipps, founder of Surangel and Sons Company, and his wife, Marilyn.[2] He and his older brother, Surangel Whipps Jr. (later President of Palau), grew up helping their parents run their small community store in Sireib, Koror, learning the family business from an early age. The family was deeply involved in the local Seventh-day Adventist community, and Sabbath observance was an integral part of their lives.[3]
Whipps earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics from Walla Walla University (then Walla Walla College) in College Place, Washington.[4]
Business career
Whipps joined the family business full-time in the 1990s, initially working on the construction of the company's first large-format grocery store in Ikelau, Koror.[3] His natural aptitude for construction led him to become the chief project supervisor for the build, while still a student at Palau Mission Academy. He later oversaw the expansion of Surangel and Sons into construction, quarrying, and heavy equipment. For years, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the company's construction division, before being named Executive Vice President and COO of the entire Surangel and Sons conglomerate.[1]