Biography for Gregory T Malone, Candidate for Iowa House of Representatives District 33
I was born in Vicksburg, Michigan, Kalamazoo County in 1961. My parents are William John and Marilyn Doolittle Malone. They are still Assembly God ministers. I was raised the preacher’s kid. I attended seven different schools in 13 years. My father moved for the ministry many times. I made friends easily and adjusted well to each situation. I enjoyed sports in school but wasn’t very good at it at any of them. The sport I like the most was ping pong. I grew up fishing and hunting with my Uncles, cousins and father and I enjoyed working on my uncle’s dairy farm.
I joined the United States Marine Corps in 1979, my senior year in high school. I was only 17 years old and my parents had to sign the enlistment papers with for me. President Jimmy Carter was in the White House and the Iran hostage crisis was going on and on. It was on the 254thrd day of captivity that I entered active duty with the Marine Corps. I was sure that we were going to war and I wanted to be part of that liberation. I didn’t know the future, but President Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 and the hostages were released and the crisis ended. My Marine Corps career was one of the best decisions of my life. I was in the Marine Corps on active duty from 1980 to 1984 and was discharged honorably. I received a Good Conduct Medal and Overseas Medal. I was an expert marksman with the M16. I went to from E1, Private to E5 Sergeant in 3 and one half years. Three of the four promotions were meritorious. I received 2 Meritorious Mast Commendations.
I’ve been married the love of my life Pamela Dianne Fahey on June 15th 1984. My wife and I raised 3 children a boy a girl and a boy. All three happily married with five wonderful grandchildren. I am looking for more grandchildren, Hint Hint.
Upon leaving the Marine Corps I was hired by Climax Manufacturing as a palletizer. I moved up to a machine operator. During this time I was attending Grace Bible Institute on the GI Bill.
After Bible School I was hired by Jefferson National Bank and wrote mortgages on commission basis. It turned out that the leadership of the bank were criminals. The FDIC shut down the bank and most of these executives were put in jail for fraud. I went on to sell life insurance door to door I only lasted 3 weeks. My wife’s cousin was in the dental laboratory business and he offered me a job making cast partial frameworks. I worked for him for one year that I bought the framework part of the business and made cast partials for 7 years. During this time I worked for Beaverite Corporation in Beaver Falls New York. I worked there for 10 years. I started out as a machine set up for the heat seal machines and moved quickly to a supervisory role eventually leading to supervising the entire factory on the 2nd shift.
I was injured in the factory and moved up to the Purchasing Manager of the gasket division making gaskets for General Motors. The company had two divisions and both divisions merged. I was made purchasing manager for the entire company. The company became 100 percent employee-owned. It formed an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). I threw myself into the ESOP and led The ESOP committee within the corporation. We attended many events in Washington DC and even lobbied some of our elected officials such as Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Chuck Schumer. Eventually I became the vice president of the ESOP Association for Northern New York. The company crashed and burned due to poor management and jobs being shipped overseas. I had over five figures in my ESOP account in stock shares. When it was all said and done I got less than $5.00 for my shares.
I was hired by a Dental Management Corporation and worked as an office manager in Watertown New York. I went on to manage a string of office is over the next four years. I became very ill with severe asthma and took a job as payroll and accommodations coordinator for Beaver Camp. It was the best job I ever had in my life I fished almost every day after work and the scenery and the place we’re absolutely beautiful and peaceful.
I went back to dental management and was hired with the large bonus to manage a dental office I had managed previously. I became tired of dental management and went back into dental laboratory work making removable dentures and partials. I owned my own company for 2 years and then I went to work for a large dental company and I am working there to date.
I have done some conference speaking and have counseled many people and mentored many. I love blacksmithing and had a blacksmith shop in Lowville New York. I apprenticed three young men in my blacksmith shop. They are all involved in blacksmithing to this day.
I moved to Des Moines, Iowa in 2011 as a dental laboratory technician. I was promoted to a dental laboratory manager for the states of Iowa and Nebraska.
I was elected as Commander of the American Legion Post 731 Hispanic in January 2020.
I love blacksmithing, knapping arrowheads and knives out of flint and glass, scrimshaw and engraving. I also enjoy fishing and hunting.
My wife and I are enjoying our grandchildren and children.
My highest goal in life is first God, family and country.
Sincerely
Gregory Taylor Malone