Mt. Gilead Mayor Whiston Announces Bid for Ohio House of Representatives

Mount Gilead Mayor Tom Whiston has announced his intention to seek the Ohio House of Representatives seat for the 90^th District. The seat is presently served by State Representative Thom Collier who will be term limited in 2008.

 Mayor Whiston began his public service in 1982 when he was elected to Mount Gilead Village Council and subsequently elected as mayor in 1997. During his tenure, he has dedicated his efforts to improving the village’s infrastructure and public safety while striving to make the government work more efficiently and not raise taxes. He has consistently worked with both police and fire departments to ensure they are well-equipped and trained to better serve the community.  

Through months of discussion with family, friends, neighbors and elected officials within the district about a possible run for State Representative, I have been overwhelmed with encouragement and support,” Whiston said. “This is an exciting next step in my public service career, but right now, I am focused on finishing out my term as mayor and serving the citizens of Mount Gilead.”

A graduate of Mount Gilead High School and the Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy, Tom is the president and manager of Whiston Pharmacy in Mount Gilead; a family-owned business for more than 75 years. He is president of the Whiston Foundation, a past chairman of the Ohio Pharmacists Legislative Committee and the past president of the OSU College of Pharmacy Alumni Association.

Tom currently serves as an Ohio Municipal League Trustee, a member of the Morrow County Farm Bureau, a Morrow County Republican Central Committee member and is past chairman of the Morrow County Republican Finance Committee. He is also a member of the finance committee at Trinity United Methodist Church, a 32^nd Degree Master Mason and is a member of the Mt. Gilead Lodge.

 He is the recipient of the Ohio Pharmacists Association’s Good Government Award, where he currently serves as a trustee and the Ohio State University’s Josephine S. Failer Alumni Award in recognition for exceptional achievements in the field of pharmacy.

 Tom is the proud father of four children. Jonathan, Whitney, Joseph and Hannah all attend the Mt. Gilead school system. His parents reside in Mt. Gilead and maintain his mother’s family farm in Knox County.