| Jason grew up on a small farm in Clifty, Kentucky with his parents, Jack and Joyce Petrie, and his older brother Mike. Jason graduated from Todd County Central High School in 1989 and in the fall began his undergraduate studies at Berea College, a small Christian college south of Lexington, Kentucky. Jason excelled through the work program as a teaching assistant and graduated in 1993 with honors, majoring in economics and philosophy. Immediately thereafter, Jason started graduate studies at Western Kentucky University where he worked as a teaching/research assistant and graduated in 1995 with a masters degree in humanities. In June of 1995 Jason married his high school sweetheart, Denise Wood of Elkton, Kentucky, and two months later began law school at The Ohio State University College of Law in Columbus, Ohio. As Jason attended law school, Denise began her long-term career as a registered nurse which eventually brought her to Logan Memorial Hospital where she is employed today. In May of 1998 Jason graduated from law school and returned home to Kentucky with his wife to start their family. In 2002, Jason and Denise's first child, Nicholas Petrie, was born. In 2004, Nathaniel Petrie graced the Petrie household. In 2006, Calista Petrie completed the family.
Before becoming a lawyer, Jason clerked for the law firm of Barkan & Barkan in Columbus, Ohio approximately two blocks from the Ohio Capital Building, and before taking the Kentucky bar exam, clerked for the Hon. Tyler L. Gill, Circuit Judge of Logan and Todd counties. In October of 1998 Jason became a member of the Kentucky legal bar, and in November of 1998 became a member of the federal bar of the Western District of Kentucky. For the first two years as an attorney, Jason began growing his private practice and also worked part-time with the Commonwealth Attorney for Logan and Todd counties as a victim advocate and as an assistant Commonwealth Attorney. From 2000 until 2007 Jason was in a legal partnership with Hon. Kenneth E. Dillingham in Elkton. In 2007 Jason began his own general private practice in Elkton handling clients' cases in Logan, Todd, Warren, Christian and Muhlenberg counties, and continues doing so today.
Jason has been involved in multiple civic organizations and local boards, and attends church at Dripping Spring Baptist Church with his wife and three children. Out of deep concern for the future of our local communities and the entire Commonwealth, Jason represents the people of the 16th House District in Logan, Todd and Warren counties. |