James Brantley

NS Nation Name: Granluras

Character Name: Jared Brantley

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 48

Character Height: 5’8

Character Weight: 182.6 lbs

Character Position/Role/Job: Governor of Pennsylvania

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Matt-Bevin-AARP.gif

Character State of Origin: Pennsylvania

Character State of Residence: Pennsylvania

Character Party Affiliation: Democrat

Main Strengths: Not corrupt; middle-class background; good reputation amongst Pennsylvanian Democrats and AFL-CIO; successful business leader

Main Weaknesses: Weak bipartisan record; adultery scandal several years ago; conflict-of-interests controversy over remaining CEO of company

Biography:

Jared Brantley was born into a middle-class family. His mother was a housewife and his father a 9-5 blue-collar worker. Being raised in the presence of his mother and father’s struggle to handle their finances, Jared developed a pro-worker and pro-union mentality. The traditional setup of the family and his father instilled Jared with some conservative views, primarily fiscal conservatism. Wanting to promote his standpoint and represent the blue-collar workforce he grew up around, Jared dedicated his education down a path of business and politics, joining school clubs and classes which curriculum focused on those fields.

Jared become a model student in these classes and clubs, becoming successful in his high school’s DECA and FBLA chapters, his Model UN, and even being elected President of his Student Council. As his college years approached, this experience became more and more important.

Jared was enrolled into the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology at 19. He studied there for four years, receiving a BBA. After graduating he got employed by a small office supply business in Pittsburgh that he eventually became Vice President of in 1995. Utilizing the onset of the Internet Age that had taken grip of the world in the 90s, Jared modernized the office supply company, which was primarily focused on paper products before, but began to sell hardware and information technology during Jared’s Vice Presidency.

Jared’s efforts allowed this company to become frequently ranked in the Top Twenty for the largest and most successful company of its industry in Pennsylvania. Around the time of Jared’s departure the company ranked at #13 for size and #15 for success.

Around this time Jared pursued two non-business objectives. Starting a family, and engaging in politics. Around 1994, Jared began pursuing more serious relationships, going through four until 1996 when he met his first wife, Francesca Calvino. They were married in 1997, shortly after his 27th birthday. Alongside this, Jared became a spokesperson an activist for the Pennsylvanian AFL-CIO.

He remained Vice President until 2000, when he left the company to become employed in financial services, an industry he studied part-time during his Vice Presidency. He was employed by Lawrenceville Accounting and Insurance Co. in 2001, a regional Pittsburgh financial services company. Jared officially joined the Democratic Party in 2003, and became a staff member of the Indiana County Democratic Committee, furthering his concurrent political career.

Jared also rose through the ranks of LAIC following his employment. By 2005, Jared was the Assistant Manager of the Indiana Regional Branch. Although a minor setback occurred in 2006, which was an adultery scandal with his secretary that lead to his divorce and Jared saying he’d resign from his managerial position. Nonetheless, Jared’s reputation and prowess let him regain his position in 2008. He became a regional manager for his home-county of Indiana by 2009.

Jared vied for the position of CEO of LAIC, and in 2010 was successfully appointed as the CEO. He reformed the company, diversifying its industries. LAIC became a financial services-oriented division, Jared’s former office supplies company was acquired and turned into Lawrenceville Office Supplies, and he created the Lawrenceville Workers’ Assistance Group, an employment agency that Jared planned on using to assist laid off and unemployed blue-collar workers receive new jobs. The umbrella company was named The Lawrenceville Company.

During these years, Jared also had success in his concurrent political career. Jared became an Area Leader of the Indiana County Democratic Committee in 2005. He was appointed Chairman of the Committee next year. In 2007, he ran for and won the position of Chairman of the County Commissioners of Indiana County - and retained his Chairmanship in the Democratic Committee. He remained in this position for the next few years, increasing his recognition and popularity. He frequently stated his goal was to “make my name be known from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia”.

By 2012, he was one of Pennsylvania’s most well-known politicians. He was frequently interviewed, written about, featured on local news, and had a large political following. Around this time he became an acquaintance of incumbent Governor Norris Vilseck. Over the next two years their relationship, politically, became increasingly close. In 2014, Jared made the announcement he would run for Lieutenant Governor for the Democrats. Jared resigned from his Committee and County Chairmanships soon after, he also resigned from The Lawrenceville Company. Upon departure, he was named CEO Emeritus and became a major shareholder, receiving a 5% stake in the company.

Jared won the primary and got on Norris' gubernatorial ticket. Norris won the gubernatorial election, and he and Jared were inaugurated on January 20 of 2015. While Norris’ political achievements were more frequently highlighted than Jared’s during Norris’ second term, Jared still was a well-received politician during his lieutenant governorship. Jared’s approval rating remained in the 60s and 70s amongst Democrats and 20s for Republicans. He still had the support of the AFL-CIO and other voting blocs he accessed during his early career during his lieutenant governorship. When Governor Vilseck resigned in 2016, Jared succeeded him as Acting Governor.

Ever since, Jared has remained a popular, and more Moderate Governor. He has worked on being more bipartisan, he has visited Pennsylvanian blue-collar workers - upholding his pro-union, pro-worker identity, and has focused on promoting bills that seek to reform some of Pennsylvania’s foremost problems. All actions that path an optimistic path for the approaching 2018 Gubernatorial election.