Whitney is the world's first professional vexillologist and he resides in Winchester, Massachusetts, USA. He is the editor of The Flag Bulletin and Director of the Flag Research Center. He coined the word "vexillology" and is a former President of NAVA.
The flag proposed is quarterly blue and red separated by a white cross throughout. A symbol appears in each quarter, white against the blue and golden yellow against the red. The symbol consists of a V and three I's.
The design was inspired by the provincial flag of Québec whose 50th anniversary is being recognized by NAVA as it holds its 32nd annual meeting. A quarterly flag separated by a white cross was a common design for military colors of the Ancien Regime, many of which saw service in Québec prior to 1763. The VIII replaces the fleur de lis of the Québec provincial flag.
The V stands for vexillology. The three I's complete the Roman numeral for 8 which appears four times, thus giving a total of 32 (corresponding to the meeting sequence). This design also suggests a growing plant, symbolizing the growth of a young science in fertile soil. The cross symbolizes the crossroads of North America and vexillologists who gather annually for their work.
Blue, white, and red are the colors of NAVA. They are also the national colors of Canada and the United States. Blue and white are the Québec provincial colors, while those two colors plus golden yellow are the city colors of Québec.