Beverly Masek facts for kids

Beverly L. "Bev" Masek (born September 30, 1963) is an Alaska Native woman. She is known as a dog sled racer and a businesswoman. Bev Masek also served as a politician in the state of Alaska.

Early Life and Dog Sled Racing

Beverly Jerue was born in Anvik, Alaska in 1963. She grew up in an Alaska Native family. Bev went to local schools and finished high school in Anvik.

She married Jan Masek, who was from Czechoslovakia. Together, they owned a kennel for racing dogs. They also ran a lodge. Beverly worked as a bookkeeper.

Bev learned about sled dogs when she was a child. She became a dog sled racer in the early 1980s. She raced in the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race five times. This is a very long and challenging race across Alaska. She finished the race four times. Her best finishes were 21st in 1991 and 23rd in 1992.

Public Service in Alaska

Beverly Masek became involved with the Republican Party. In 1994, she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives. This is part of Alaska's state government. She served in the House from 1995 to 2005.

She won her first election for an open seat. In that year, other Republican candidates also won in her area. Bev Masek was the chairwoman of the House Resources Committee. This committee works on important issues about Alaska's natural resources.