Craig Whitney

Craig David Whitney, President and CEO of the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce, died Saturday, December 14, 2019 at Sanford Health in Fargo.  He was 59 years old. 

Craig was born in December 25, 1959 in Lincoln Nebraska, the son of Eleanor and Craig Whitney.  He was raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he began his career in business and politics.  Following extensive work in the 1988 Iowa caucus and general election campaign of Vice President George Bush, Craig joined the White House staff as an adviser to the new Vice President, Dan Quayle.  Serving in several positions, he rose to the rank of Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Advance.  

Following the Bush-Quayle administration, Craig held senior executive positions at the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, in the presidential campaign of Senator Richard G. Lugar, and at Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization in Indianapolis.  In the late 1990’s he moved to Arizona, where he served several years as vice president of public affairs at the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.  In a long association with Dan Quayle, Craig served on the former vice president’s political action committee and presidential campaign staff.  When Mr. Quayle became chairman of the investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, Craig held the post of chief of staff to the chairman and senior lobbyist.

Craig arrived in North Dakota in 2010, when he joined the Chamber of Commerce.  He lived in Fargo with his wife, Lori, whom he married in 1983.  She survives him, along with son Matthew and daughter Meredith (Tara); granddaughter Parker; sisters Susan Nall and Connie (David) Wright; many nieces and nephews; and friends across America.  He was preceded in death by his mother and father.  

Memorials are suggested to Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center, 820 4th St N, Fargo, ND 58102

Visitation:   5 - 7 pm Thursday, December 19, 2019 at the Hjemkomst Center, 202 1st Avenue North, Moorhead, MN.  His family invites everyone to wear festive holiday clothing to the visitation in recognition of Craig's love of Christmas

Memorial Service:  10 am Friday, December 20, 2019 at Avalon Events Center, 2525 9th Avenue South, Fargo, ND

Please click on the following link for media recording of Craig's service:

https://vimeo.com/381571884/dbdddd4251

West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center, West Fargo

westfuneralhome.com

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