The front cover of On Point a book about young elected officials with a forward by Sen. George Mitchell

“In a time where slogans of a few words capture a position and controversy swirls with each news cycle, On Point offers refreshing and timely insights from a new generation of young elected officials in the eternal struggle to build a more perfect union,” wrote Senator George J. Mitchell in his introduction to On Point: Voices and Values of the Young Elected Official, by Jeff L. Thigpen.

The author had that point in mind when he decided to write the book.

“I wrote On Point because there’s an emerging group of principled leaders shaping a new era in American politics. It’s time we know them and why they were inspired to run for elected office, and how they are meeting the challenges of this time in history.  Most importantly, it is time we hear their stories,” said Thigpen.

Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx was one of only seven state lawmakers chosen for the book containing unique National profiles of sixteen young elected officials. Rep. Cornell du Houx is in his second term as a legislator representing Brunswick, District 66. He was a former Marine who served in Iraq and is currently a public affairs officer in the Navy Reserve. He worked for the Truman National Security Project in Washington, D.C. on national security and energy issues.

“My work with the Truman National Security Project included focusing on educating members of Congress and other elected officials on why to take this issue just as seriously as our military is,” said Cornell du Houx in the book.

Rep. Cornell du Houx is highlighted in On Point, and is in the upper right hand section of this back cover.

While he worked for the Truman Project, he brought veterans of all wars together to form a coalition called Operation Free, whose mission is to strengthen our security by reducing our dependence on oil. He organized and took part in press events at the White House about the issue. In each state, he recruited and trained future leaders, elected officials, their staff, nonprofits, and others involved in national security. He went on national bus tours with Operation Free, raising awareness with each veteran’s personal story as to how America’s dependency on foreign oil is a national security threat. The bus came to Maine in 2009.

“Alex’s personal story exudes a profound sense of duty, honor, and service to country — as an officer in the Navy, community leader, and in the Maine State Legislature. Those unique values have shaped his advocacy work for veterans, renewable energy, and energy independence,” said the author of On Point, Jeff Thigpen.

Thigpen has received praise for choosing to write a book highlighting young officials at this time.

“Conventional wisdom says that Washington, DC is usually wrong about 95 percent of the time— give or take 5 percent. On Point gives us fresh faces and new voices in progressive leadership working to get it right. They are problem solvers, in touch with peoples’ lives and figuring out solutions that will work today. America’s future is now, and these young leaders have the values and courage to make a difference,” said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners.

Some of the personal stories remind the reader of America’s civil rights struggle and makes one thankful for the work these young officials are doing, including the author, Thigpen, who was recently on The Rachael Maddow Show. As a county register of deeds in North Carolina, he blew the whistle on corruption taking place in the housing market.

O. Max Gardner III is nationally recognized as a successful consumer bankruptcy attorney. His quote appears on the back cover saying, “The young politicians profiled in this book give me hope for the future.  Jeff in particular has been working to uphold the rule of law, even if it means putting the powerful financial industry’s feet to the fire.”

On Point — is available at:

· jeffthigpen.com
· amazon.com
· or at a local book store for $13.95