Josh Shapiro’s next act

Man with a plan

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JANUARY 16, 2023

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January 16, 2023

PENNSYLVANIA’S PREMIER PUBLICATION COVERING POLITICS & COMMUNIT Y NEWS

City & State Pennsylvania

Contents | JANUARY 16, 2023

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PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

BLIZZARD OF ROZZI A look back at one of Harrisburg’s most headspinning weeks in recent memory

EDITOR’S NOTE … 4

JOSH SHAPIRO … 18

PUBLISHER’S NOTE … 6

THE 2023 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS POWER 100 … 25

It’s not too late for Speaker Rozzi to still keep his promise to the people Recapping our best year ever and looking ahead to our best year ever

FIRST READ ... 8

We shake the state’s political family tree and come up with some fanciful findings

ROLL CALL … 10

Relive the highlights of the Greater Philadelphia Healthcare Summit

An exclusive interview with the state’s new governor the eve of his inauguration

Meet the people bridging the gap between organizations and government

WINNERS & LOSERS … 50

Who’s been up – and down – this month

State Rep. Mark Rozzi was a surprise pick for new House speaker, with Democrats and Republicans backing him.

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CityAndStatePA .com

January 16, 2023

EDITOR’S NOTE

Editor-in-chief

JARED GRUENWALD

JENNY DEHUFF

BY MID-JANUARY, many people have either given up on their New Year’s resolutions – or they never bothered to make them in the first place. It’s not too late for our friends in the General Assembly to resolve to make a fresh start to go along with all the fresh faces: More than 50 new members joined the legislature earlier this month, each with their own sets of priorities, platforms and preconceived notions. But there’s another “P” that these members brought with them to Harrisburg: a promise that they made during their inaugurations to the people of Pennsylvania they would do their jobs in good faith. Not three weeks into the calendar year, and we are already beginning to see a breakdown of this particular pledge in the state Capitol. Mark Rozzi, a longtime Democrat and child sex abuse survivor, shook up Pennsylvania’s political power dynamic when Democrats and Republicans threw their support behind him to be the next speaker of the House. They called him a consensus candidate who would help bring unity to Harrisburg. And in a public address, Rozzi promised to govern as an Independent, proclaiming he would not caucus with Republicans or Democrats and would change his voter registration. Days later, though, news broke that he reneged on that promise, telling Republican state Rep. Jim Gregory, his friend and colleague – and a fellow child abuse survivor – that he had reconsidered. Pennsylvania isn’t the only state that has been forced to grapple with this kind of behavior in recent years. In New Jersey, Jeff Van Drew was a Democrat in that state’s legislature. In 2018, he won New Jersey’s 2nd congressional district race to represent much of South Jersey – but before he had even served one year in Congress, Van Drew announced he was switching parties to join the GOP. He was criticized for the defection and for pivoting so sharply that he wound up voting against the certification of the 2020 election results. This type of flip-flopping and craven behavior erodes the trust and confidence of voters. But unlike Van Drew, Rozzi still has a chance to follow through on his promises to the people of Pennsylvania. This is his moment to resolve to make a brand-new start – and set the right example for the freshmen.

On behalf of your entire PAB team, Board of Directors and member stations

Congratulations, Joe Conti! On being named one of City & State’s Top 100 Government Relations Power People.

WWW.PAB.ORG

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January 16, 2023

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Publisher

RICHARD QUINDRY

SUSAN PEIFFER

OVER THE PAST 18 months, City & State has made a tremendous impact in Pennsylvania. Since relaunching, we have continued to provide daily, original content for our magazine and website. It is this valuable coverage of state and local politics that has driven traffic to our site and doubled our First Read subscriber base over the past year, even as we have published 26 magazines and hosted 15 in-person and six virtual events in just 18 months. Whether through spirited panel discussions at our policy summits, recognition ceremonies for our Power Lists or participation in debates and candidate forums, I believe it is our events that set the stage for meaningful dialogue. City & State events fall into three categories: Power 100 receptions, awards ceremonies and policy summits. Some recent highlights include the Greater Philadelphia Healthcare Summit, held last month in Conshohocken. This fullday conference featured three panels covering topics like the eldercare crisis and health care innovation. In October, we celebrated the Fifty Over 50 Awards at Moshulu in Philadelphia, featuring speeches from Paul Levy, MeeCee Baker, Al Schmidt and many more. Last August, we teamed up with Penn State and their partners to co-present the Agriculture Power 100 list at their annual Ag Progress Days event. In May, our PA Power 100 reception had a spirited bipartisan debate over whether the Hershey Kiss should be the official state candy. In April, we held our first-ever event in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Power 100. And in March, we hosted the Above & Beyond awards in Philadelphia at Del Frisco’s, where a crowd of more than 250 came together to celebrate the 40 women selected for this prestigious honor. We co-hosted the first U.S. Senate Democratic Debate, held our first-ever Pride Power 100 event in Philadelphia and the Transportation Summit in Harrisburg. All of our 2022 events were well attended and featured speakers from across the political spectrum. The Pittsburgh Power 100 will be our first event of 2023, on Jan. 31, followed by the Rebuilding Pennsylvania Summit on Feb. 28 in Harrisburg and the Above & Beyond Awards on March 14 in Philadelphia. To stay on top of our upcoming events, visit our website, CityandStatePA.com and subscribe to our daily newsletter, First Read PA.

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CityAndStatePA .com

2023 & ME

Fake ‘family’ connections we wish were the real deal. By Harrison Cann

SCOTT PERRY U.S. REP.

TYLER PERRY FILMMAKER

January 16, 2023

City & State has come up with some theoretical genetic attachments for some of Pennsylvania’s politicos. While no DNA evidence supports these family trees, we’d like to think Henry Louis Gates would give us a pass this time.

JOSH SHAPIRO GOV.-ELECT

ENTERTAINMENT

The Perrys share a passion for drama. Scott has been under fire for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Tyler has written several movies and TV shows, many about betrayals and affairs. No word on whether the two are teaming up on a remake of “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.”

Darrell has been a leader in City Hall since 2012, while Emilia began portraying Daenerys Targaryen in “Game of Thrones” in 2011. Looks and location may separate these two, but with major leadership changes on the horizon, both are focused on ensuring those in power remain … unsullied.

BEN SHAPIRO POLITICAL PUNDIT They fall on different sides of the political spectrum, but these two have some things in common: Both are Jewish; both graduated near the top of their class in college; and both went to law school. Josh has made it clear he’s not related to Ben – and we don’t expect him on “The Daily Wire” anytime soon.

DARRELL CLARKE

PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

EMILIA CLARKE ACTRESS

SHAPIRO FOR PENNSYLVANIA; JASON KEMPIN, TOM WILLIAMS, CQ-ROLL CALL, INC/GETTY IMAGES; PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL; AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC, KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES

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JEFF SWENSEN, DAVID WOLFF - PATRICK/REDFERNS, BURAK CINGI/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES; JAMES ROBINSON; SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE; JASON KEMPIN/GETTY IMAGES; PENNSYLVANIA SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS; BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES; AMANDA BERG; JUSTIN K. ALLER/GETTY IMAGES

January 16, 2023

DAVE McCORMICK FORMER U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE

LINDSEY WILLIAMS STATE SENATOR

MICHELE BROOKS STATE SENATOR

City & State Pennsylvania

MAC MILLER LATE RAPPER

MEEK MILL RAPPER

GARTH BROOKS COUNTRY SINGER-SONGWRITER

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Mac, born Malcolm James McCormick, burst on the scene as a Pittsburgh teen. Dave was raised just outside the Steel City. With Dave’s endorsement snub and the dispute over that Mac song, they could’ve bonded over their disdain for The Donald.

While these two hail from different sides of the state, they share a passion for criminal justice reform. Whether it’s on the streets or on a beat, we’d love to see them work together – maybe on a duet of “Dreams & Healthcares?”

MUSIC

Michele was first elected to office in 2006. Garth returned to the spotlight after the turn of the century when he came out of an early retirement. One major difference between the Brookses: Unlike Garth, Michele has friends in high places.

AMANDA CAPPELLETTI STATE SENATOR

JOHN CAPPELLETTI FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYER

One went to Penn State and the other serves in the state Senate, but both were born and raised in the Philly suburbs. Amanda grew up in Boyertown before going to Chestnut Hill College and Temple University. John was raised in Upper Darby before winning a Heisman Trophy at Penn State.

SPORTS

KIM WARD STATE SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE

HINES WARD HALL OF FAME WIDE RECEIVER

Kim is a political All-Pro, most recently becoming the state Senate’s first female president. Hines is the Steelers’ all-time leader in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions. Perhaps the two can enjoy a beverage at Hines’ The Locker Room on the South Side.

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CityAndStatePA .com

January 16, 2023

A healthier Pennsylvania

Snapshots from our Greater Philadelphia Healthcare Summit

By Harrison Cann Last month, more than 100 people convened at the Hotel West & Main in Conshohocken for City & State’s first-ever Greater Philadelphia Healthcare Summit. The half-day conference featured elected officials, academics and business and nonprofit leaders discussing how people can foster partnerships between government and the private and nonprofit sectors to improve the delivery of health care services throughout the region. Our next event celebrates the Pittsburgh Power 100 on Jan. 31 in the Steel City.

(L to R): Meg Snead, Heidi Gorniok, Kortney Cruz and Ayana Bradshaw

JARED GRUENWALD

(L to R): Nora Dowd Eisenhower, Zachary Shamberg, Laila Khalil and Garry Pezzano

(L to R): Dustin Morris, Abhi Rastogi, Art Haywood and Tobey Dichter

Joanne Grossi

January 16, 2023

City & State Pennsylvania

Attendees networking at the event

Cindy Bass

Keynote Speaker Denise Johnson

Representatives from Moravia Health

Representatives from Cigna

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January 16, 2023

ESS THAN TWO MONTHS after Democrats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives gathered in front of Independence Mall in Philadelphia to claim a slim majority in the state House, the power structure in Harrisburg is as unpredictable as ever. The election of a new House Speaker has prompted fresh questions about how the state Capitol will function in the opening months of 2023. Now presiding over the House is state Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Democrat who vowed to become an Independent shortly after winning the leadership election on Jan. 3. His ascent to the speaker’s office was historic – he pledged to be the state’s first-ever Independent speaker – but Rozzi’s first week with the gavel was not without controversy. He may have even lost a longtime friend. His rise to the speakership was unexpected; he received the support of the entire House Democratic Caucus and 16 Republicans after being nominated for the role by GOP state Rep. Jim Gregory, who has been a close ally of his. Most notably, the two worked hand-in-hand on a package of bills to protect victims of child sex abuse, which included legislation to abolish the state’s criminal statute of limitations on child sex abuse. Gregory said the plan to elect Rozzi as speaker was hatched in the moment on swearing-in day. He told City & State that the idea was raised jokingly by House GOP Whip Tim O’Neal in a conversation with Rozzi and Gregory. Roughly 15 to 20 minutes later, Gregory said he got a text from O’Neal, asking what it would take to get Rozzi to switch his party affiliation to Independent. “If you want to make a serious offer, then I suggest you call him and make a serious offer,” Gregory said, recalling his response to O’Neal. Moments later, Gregory officially nominated Rozzi for speaker of the House, laying the groundwork for Rozzi to win the speaker’s gavel. Since November, Democrats and

THE LAND OF ROZ How Pennsylvania’s new House speaker has shaken up Harrisburg’s halls of power. By Justin Sweitzer

City & State Pennsylvania

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PA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

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January 16, 2023

Republicans had been jostling for control of the House, leaving the caucuses at an impasse over which party was entitled to the majority. House Democrats said their one-seat majority gave them the power to preside over the chamber until a permanent speaker was chosen. However, two resignations and the death of state Rep. Tony DeLuca meant Democrats only had 99 members, leaving three vacancies and giving Republicans a two-seat advantage. In December, House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton attempted to schedule special elections to fill the three vacant seats – a power delegated to the House’s presiding officer – prompting House Republicans to file a lawsuit seeking to block the action. Democrats now say the conflict is moot, given that Rozzi took action of his own to set the election dates for Feb. 7. Speaking from the rostrum after being elected by his peers, Rozzi vowed to leave partisan politics behind him and announced his intention to become an Independent, adding that he would form a staff made up of Democrats and Republicans. He said that he would not caucus with either party. “I pledge my allegiance and my loyal-

ty to no interest in this building, to no interest in our politics. I pledge my loyalty to the people of the commonwealth, to the people who are tired of the hyperpartisanship in both parties,” Rozzi said. “I pledge to put people above politics and the institution before ideology.” GOP lawmakers and Capitol insiders alike praised Rozzi for his drive and independent streak. House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler, who was one of the 16 Republicans who voted for Rozzi, said Rozzi’s commitment to become an Independent was key to earning his support. “I think that it’s good news for the voters of Pennsylvania because he’s pledged to work with both sides,” Cutler told reporters earlier this month. “Rep. Rozzi is the quintessential consensus pick. He’s well-liked and respected by Democrats and Republicans. He’s been an independent thinker and a passionate and tireless worker in Harrisburg,” said Mustafa Rashed, the president and CEO of Bellevue Strategies, a Pennsylvania-based government relations firm. Rozzi promised to root out dysfunction in Harrisburg, but his election has also created some uncertainty about how the

Mark Rozzi was sworn in as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Jan. 3, 2023.

THEY NEED NO AN INTRODUCTION We asked the newest lawmakers about themselves. This year’s class of freshman lawmakers is among the largest and most diverse in history: The state House alone is welcoming nearly 50 new members, while the state Senate is welcoming two new lawmakers. City & State reached out to all the newcomers entering their first term in Harrisburg for a friendly survey. Here are some of the best responses we received. Answers edited for clarity and brevity.

Why run for public office? Lisa Borowski (D-168th House District): I was first motivated to run for public office by my youngest son, who was upset because his favorite gym teacher at our elementary school told the kids he was afraid of losing his job when our school board was talking about cutting teacher positions as a method to fund the district budget. I started paying attention to the decisions being made by our school board at the time and decided to run for school board director to support a more visionary approach to education in our district.

community, and I felt that we needed a health care champion in Harrisburg. Also, I felt that we needed more of a sense of urgency for issues such as making our public schools phenomenal citywide, solving our gun violence and opioid crises, and strengthening and expanding our social safety net.

Tarik Khan (D-194th House District): The pandemic laid bare health disparities in our

Josh Siegel (D-22nd House District): My motivation for serving in public office has always been

State Rep. Tarik Khan

State Rep. Josh Siegel the experience of my family; my father is a gay man and my sister is a trans woman. When my father came out to me, same-sex marriage was on the ballot in multiple states. I remember the politics of the time and the willingness of elected officials to demonize an entire community for votes. In Pennsylvania, we still don’t have sufficient anti-discrimination protections for our LGTBQ community. Arvind Venkat (D-30th House District): As an emergency physician,

PA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS; RICH LORD; GERRI HERNANDEZ FOR THE VENKAT CAMPAIGN; SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS; HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS

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City & State Pennsylvania

“That’s why we’re doing this – to show that it is or it isn’t” worth it. – State Rep. Jim Gregory

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chamber will operate and what types of policies he will prioritize. And while his initial pledge to become an Independent was welcomed by government watchdogs, there has subsequently been no shortage of confusion and dissension. Plus, there’s still the matter of the special elections. If Democrats win all three seats as projected, the chamber will be tied at 101-1011 – with Rozzi being the crucial, tie-breaking vote on pretty much everything. Fletcher McClellan, a political science professor at Elizabethtown College, suggested that an evenly split House could mean that legislative committees get divided evenly between the parties, rather than being made up of 15 members of the majority party and 10 members of the minority party, as they are now. Rashed concurred, pointing out that Rozzi and legislative leaders still have to iron out the rules of the House, establish the makeup of committees and appoint committee chairs. “We also don’t know how active Rozzi will be: Will he serve as caretaker, a facilitator for one or both sides, or will he push his own agenda?” McClellan pointed out. “If the latter, what could Rozzi’s agenda be and how will the legislative parties and the

Thomas Kutz (R-87th House District): New maps and a condensed timeframe for the election presented challenges. The 87th district is comprised of five former districts, and each of those five incumbents were on the ballot for state office. This made it difficult to convey to voters the state of the race given the new district lines. State Rep. Arvind Venkat I care for everyone, no questions asked, and see all the strengths and challenges in our community. During COVID, I had the privilege of caring for my neighbors during their time of need. I also experienced how our lack of investment in public health, public safety and public education led to the challenges we see. I decided to run to make sure we build capacity and resilience into these vital public services so that we never again go through what we did the last few years.

State Rep. Nick Miller What did you do before this? Dallas Kephart (R-73rd House District): Lawyer to one of the judges on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Tarik Khan: Family nurse practitioner at Abbotsford Falls in East Falls and president of the Pennsylvania Nurses Association. John Schlegel (R-101st House District): An American history teacher and coach for 13 years.

State Rep. Thomas Kutz What were some challenges your campaign faced? Tarik Khan: I ran for office while co-leading a nationally recognized volunteer vaccine program for patients with access issues, finishing my doctoral program, writing my Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and treating patients two days a week at the health center. The district maps changed twice while I was running, and I suspended my campaign when it looked like fellow progressive Rep. (Chris) Rabb would be in the same district.

Josh Siegel: The 22nd District has a large Latino population and our campaign had to work to make sure we had the ability to campaign bilingually. We had a campaign fellow that was able to communicate with voters in both English and Spanish, which helped us overcome a language barrier. What were voters most focused on during your election? Lisa Borowski: Maintaining access to abortion; threats against democracy; infrastructure enhancements; and open-space preservation/over-development.

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CityAndStatePA .com

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(L to R): State Rep. Bryan Cutler, House Speaker Mark Rozzi and state Rep. Joanna McClinton

governor respond?” In the days following his election, Rozzi made one key goal clear: He wanted to secure long-sought legal relief for survivors of childhood sex abuse. Rozzi and Gregory – both of whom are victims of child sex abuse – have been two of the loudest advocates in the Capitol for the constitutional amendment, which would provide a two-year legal window for child sex abuse victims to file civil suits against their abusers. In 2021, the amendment’s trajectory was notoriously derailed after the Pennsylvania Department of State failed to adhere to a constitutional requirement to advertise about it. Days after Rozzi’s election, outgoing Gov. Tom Wolf formally called for a special session of the General Assembly to vote on the constitutional amendment, a move that drew praise from the new speaker. Underscoring his commitment to the long-running effort, Rozzi said that as long as he is speaker, no other legislation will receive a vote until lawmakers pass the constitutional amendment. “We’ve talked the talk – now it’s time to walk the walk, together, one last time, for

(CONT’D.)

Dallas Kephart: Higher costs, including concern of rising gas prices; energy supply issues; and constitutional rights. Nick Miller (D-14th Senate District): Fairly funded schools; infrastructure support; creating more opportunities for small businesses and good, well-paying jobs. How do you plan on prioritizing those issues next year? Lisa Borowski: I plan on focusing efforts on ways the state can support our local municipalities when it comes to infrastructure repairs/ enhancements. Many state roads and bridges are in disrepair and municipalities are having to make fixes, which means residents are paying twice – at the state and local levels – to maintain this infrastructure. I’d also like to see

Dallas Kephart: Reining in wasteful spending and unnecessary regulations and supporting and defending the constitutions of the United States and Pennsylvania. Thomas Kutz: I will work to enact pro-economic growth policies that will help fight inflation, support family-sustaining jobs and make Pennsylvania more competitive across the board. Josh Siegel: I think one of the most pressing issues facing voters in Pennsylvania is the cost of housing: For seniors, it’s the rising tide of property taxes and for those in the workforce, it’s the cost of rent or availability of

affordable starter homes. I believe these issues transcend district and party. There is no area immune to the shortage of housing or issues about the quality of housing stock. What should your colleagues know about your district? Tarik Khan: When someone wants to visit Philadelphia, take them to the 194th. We have the best restaurants, small business shopping, hiking, biking, running and indoor ice skating, and some of the nicest people you will ever meet! Also, the Roxborough raccoon lives here and often visits our office. Thomas Kutz: The 87th district lies in the heart of Cumberland County and is similar to Pennsylvania’s geography as a whole – a commercial center, a rural base and a large number of residential communities. The 87th District is home to beautiful rolling farmland, majestic mountains at the north and south ends of the district, and the serene Yellow Breeches and Conodoguinet Creeks.

Nick Miller: The Lehigh Valley is a diverse region and the 14th District encapsulates a little bit of all of what makes the Lehigh Valley such a special place. It spans from downtown Allentown to the suburbs of Allentown and Bethlehem to rural areas in the northern tier of Northampton County. Did your predecessor offer any words of advice? Dallas Kephart: Keep your powder dry. Josh Siegel: To take my time to take everything in, network and give myself time to learn the Capitol. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received so far? Lisa Borowski: Exercise patience – both with myself and those who are working to help support the transition. I want everything done yesterday! John Schlegel: Do more listening than talking.

PA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

INTRO

how to support municipalities as they look to create more opportunities for open space preservation – which helps the environment and stormwater issues, eliminates wear and tear on state and local infrastructure, and enhances community health and wellness.

January 16, 2023

the victims of childhood sexual abuse,” Rozzi said in a statement. Where Rozzi stands on a slate of GOPbacked constitutional amendments is less clear, as is how he will determine what bills get called up for a vote, and which don’t see the light of day. But Rozzi’s rise could be halted as quickly as it came to be. One day after Gregory spoke with City & State, he penned a letter calling for Rozzi to resign as speaker. “It was with great sadness for me as your friend that you would admit to me Saturday that you are only thinking about switching (to Independent),” he wrote. “The bonds of trust between friends – as close as you and I have been – are now broken.” Democrats have said little publicly since Rozzi was elected, though McClinton, who was expected to be the Democratic nominee for speaker prior to Rozzi’s nomination, called Rozzi a “true leader” before the vote and congratulated him on his surprise victory on Twitter afterward. However, in a Twitter thread of his own posted two days after Rozzi was elected, Democratic state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta suggested that Democrats supported Rozzi’s

City & State Pennsylvania

speaker bid because the House “needed a speaker” and, in his own words, the “House Dems took the ‘least worst option.’” “When the house has its full complement of members Leader Joanna McClinton will become Speaker Joanna McClinton,” Kenyatta tweeted. A spokesperson for McClinton did not comment on the tweet. Rozzi said on swearing-in day that he envisions both parties getting some wins – at least as long as the people of Pennsylvania benefit, too. “Sometimes, Republicans will win. Sometimes, Democrats will win, and that is fine as long as the beneficiaries are the people of this commonwealth.” Whether he will remain in that role following special elections is a question that will ultimately be answered by Rozzi’s colleagues.

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“Rep. Rozzi is the quintessential consensus pick.” – Mustafa Rashed

Josh Siegel: Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance, advice or help. Arvind Venkat: Make sure my focus is on serving my constituents. How has your transition to Harrisburg been thus far? Lisa Borowski: It has been exciting, frustrating and, at times, disconcerting. As someone who served in an elected role on local boards, I am used to being in the thick of everything. Being on the outside looking in is an unfamiliar spot for me, but I’m focusing on what is most important, which is getting my district office up and running so I can support my neighbors in the 168th. John Schlegel: Everyone I have encountered in this process has been professional, knowledgeable and supportive. I am fortunate to have a veteran staff whose knowledge and experience is enabling me to immediately and effectively address issues brought forth by constituents. – Harrison Cann To see the full range of questions and answer, go to cityandstatepa.com

The letter penned by State Rep. Jim Gregory calling for the resignation of House Speaker Mark Rozzi.

EXECU UTIVE DECIS SION 18

CityAndStatePA .com

January 16, 2023

Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro plans to hit the ground running on Day One. He explains how in this exclusive interview.

By Justin Sweitzer

Portraits by Brad Trent

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Shapiro goes to vote with his family on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022, at Rydal Elementary School West.

OSH SHAPIRO RAN for governor as a consensus-builder, a strategy that carried him to a 15-point victory in last year’s gubernatorial election. He has political momentum behind him and a clear mandate from voters. But two months after being chosen as the state’s 48th chief executive, Shapiro will take office at a time when the political dynamic in Harrisburg couldn’t be more unpredictable. Ahead of Shapiro’s inauguration on Tuesday, Jan. 17, City & State spoke with him about his goals for his first term in office and how he plans to steer his agenda through a divided state legislature. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You just wrapped up a pretty historic campaign for governor that saw you win by around 15 points and secure over 3 million votes. What has the last year or so been like for you? It’s been exhilarating. It’s been humbling. The way people welcomed me and my family into their homes and their communities, sharing their concerns and their hopes, their fears, their worries – and ultimately trusted me to do something about all that – I’ve learned a lot. I think I’ve grown as a public servant and as a man, and I’m prepared to do the important work necessary to make their lives better.

Then-Democratic candidate for governor Shapiro stops for a photo op with supporters in Philadelphia in mid-October.

MARK MAKELA/GETTY IMAGES

Your transition team includes an FOP president and criminal justice reformers, former chairs of the state Republican and Democratic parties, union leaders and members of the business community. How has this “team of rivals” approach worked? This transition team reflects people from all different walks of life, different political backgrounds and different ideological viewpoints, and they’re working to help me put together plans to implement my vision for the commonwealth. I think the real measure will be the administration we build – the senior staff we hire, the cabinet that we put in place. You’ll continue to see people from different walks of life – you’ll see bipartisanship, you’ll see people who may have different views on different issues.

Shapiro addresses members of the media in November of last year.

January 16, 2023

City & State Pennsylvania

Shapiro and running mate Austin Davis (left) tailgate with supporters at an Eagles game on Oct. 30, 2022.

MARK MAKELA, SAUL LOEB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; DAVE KOTINSKY/GETTY IMAGES FOR SEIU

I’m someone who likes to surround myself with people who will challenge me every day, who will make me a better governor by bringing different perspectives around the table to help us make meaningful progress for the good people of Pennsylvania.

Shapiro is joined by then-Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden at a rally in Philadelphia. SEIU members and Shapiro meet for a roundtable discussion in August 2022.

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As you settle into the governor’s office, there’s still a chance that the long-term control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives could remain unsettled. Which party do you expect to be in the majority in the opening months of 2023? How do you see this leadership battle impacting your ability to push your agenda? I think it’s clear that the voters made their voices heard on Election Day. They elected a Democratic majority in the House. It’s also very clear that they, in my election and theirs, rejected extremism, but most importantly, they gave all of us – Democrat and Republican – a mandate to come together and get things done. So, no matter what the courts decide and how this process plays out over the initial several weeks, as governor, I will be prepared to work with leaders from both parties to get things done because that’s what the good people of Pennsylvania deserve. Have you spoken with legislative leaders and have you found any common ground on issues that you want to address collectively in the opening months of 2023? I’ve spoken to each of them multiple times, and while I’m not going to get into our private conversations, what’s clear to me is that all four of them want to work together and all four of them recognize we may have some differences on issues – and that’s OK. But we have to learn in this building to disagree agreeably and move on to the next issue where we can find common ground and make progress. That’s something I’ve done throughout my career. That’s something that they’ve often done, and that’s something I’m going to expect of them and they should expect of me – that we’re going to just keep working at it to find common ground. I’m gonna do my best to bring the temperature down in the building and create an environment where we can work together to get things done.

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January 16, 2023

BRAD TRENT

Is there any low-hanging fruit you can tackle with bipartisan cooperation? I think all the issues I talked about on the campaign trail enjoy bipartisan support. I talked about putting a mental health counselor in every school building in Pennsylvania. I’ve heard from Republicans and Democrats about the need to address youth mental health care. It’s in crisis and we have to do something about it. I received broad support from Republicans and Democrats about putting vo-tech back into our high school curricula. I received support across the aisle about hiring more police officers in our communities and investing more in economic development and growth, particularly in rural communities. These are issues that enjoy broad bipartisan support, and I look forward to working with lawmakers to see those things to fruition. I also am mindful that lawmakers have good ideas. I’m anxious to hear from them – what’s important to them – so that we can incorporate as much of that as we can into my initial budget and we can celebrate wins for Democrats, Republicans, House members, Senate members and our administration. I don’t view our politics as a zero-sum game. I think everybody can get something out of this. I don’t think we should view Harrisburg as if one side wins, the other side has to lose. There can be wins across the board for both parties, but we have to just trust one another, work together and work on common-sense things that are going to help our education system, public safety and grow our economy. There have been a lot of conversations about how Gov. Tom Wolf used executive power, with voters even choosing to scale back gubernatorial emergency powers. What will your approach to using executive power look like? Pennsylvanians gave us a mandate to bring people together and lead, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I want to work as much as we can within the legislative process to get that done. There are certain things that will be done by executive order. For example, I said on Day One I would do away with the college degree requirements for thousands of state government jobs to

City & State Pennsylvania

open up the doors of opportunity for more people in Pennsylvania. I think that that is an appropriate use of executive power. I think we’d be hard-pressed to find any lawmakers who would disagree with that. So, I think it’s a matter of using your executive authority to make positive change like that. But then also recognizing that you gotta do the hard work of meeting and talking and negotiating in order to get meaningful legislation passed. Do you have any other Day One executive orders that you expect to sign? That’s a big one. Doing away with the college degree requirements. We’ll also have some more to say about how to streamline and speed up the permitting and licensing process. In your initial transition press conference, you mentioned how you plan on nominating a successor to the Office of Attorney General. Do you have any concerns with the optics of picking your own successor? The law affords the governor the authority to appoint when there is a vacancy in the Office of Attorney General – and, by the way, treasurer and auditor general as well. So, I’ll be exercising that authority that is vested in the governor, not dissimilar to what Gov. Corbett did just a few years ago. Fast-forwarding to the end of your time in the governor’s office – whenever that may be – What do you want your legacy to be when people reflect back on your time as Pennsylvania’s governor? When you write the story in 2030, it will hopefully be about a governor who brought people together to get things done, who made sure our kids had access to meaningful mental health care, who made our communities safer, who grew the economy and created jobs at a record rate because we showed Pennsylvania was open for business. A governor who, through it all, defended our real freedoms: the right to vote, the right to make decisions over your own body or marry who you love – those fundamental freedoms were protected right here in the birthplace of our democracy under Gov. Shapiro’s leadership.

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“I don’t think politics is a zero-sum game.” – Josh Shapiro

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Congratulations to Dan Wiedemer, Erika Brunelle, Kelli Thompson and the nearly 180,000 members of PSEA, whose collective action and solidarity provides a voice for educators and school employees throughout Pennsylvania.

January 16, 2023

City & State Pennsylvania

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THE 2023 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS POWER 100 Meet the professionals who help organizations and policymakers talk to – and work with – each other.

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ELCOME TO THE first annual City & State PA roundup of the most influential individuals helping their companies, organizations and associations communicate their legislative priorities to elected officials at all levels. The professionals highlighted below come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and represent nonprofits, corporations

– and even other branches of government – but they are all on this list for the same reason: They make things happen within the halls of power more effectively than anyone else in the field. Let us know what you think we got right – and wrong – on this group by emailing [email protected]. The following profiles were researched and written by City & State staff and freelance writer Hilary Danailova.

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January 16, 2023

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DAN WIEDEMER

TODD BAILEY

ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Dan Wiedemer leverages the collective might of 178,000 commonwealth educators to rack up policy victories for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, where he recently worked with the Wolf administration to secure nearly $1 billion in new public school funding. A longtime ally of Josh Shapiro, Wiedemer spearheaded a multimilliondollar super PAC on the governor-elect’s behalf and is currently a member of his transition team. Wiedemer also chairs Project Keystone, Pennsylvania’s polling consortium.

After 18 years with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau – including a stint managing member services – Todd Bailey became chief administrative officer last year. He now supervises routine operations for the organization, as well as for the PFB Members’ Service Corporation and the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, which runs educational and agricultural promotion programs. Bailey, himself a farm native, advocates on behalf of the organization’s statewide membership and its constituency of 57 county farm bureaus across the commonwealth.

Dan Wiedemer

2 DAVID TAYLOR PRESIDENT AND CEO Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association The commonwealth’s $92 billion manufacturing sector – and its half-million jobs – are represented by David Taylor, a 26-year veteran of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association. As CEO, he has championed energy and petrochemical initiatives – including the Mariner East 2 pipeline and the Shell Polymers project in Beaver County – and fought to enact a manufacturing tax credit that attracted a $6 billion Luzerne County investment in fuel production. Taylor also serves on the national board and executive committee of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee.

David Taylor Todd Bailey

4 ALISON BEAM SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICER University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Last April, Alison Beam left the Wolf administration to oversee government

JENNY WERT; ROGER THAT PHOTOGRAPHY; HOLLY CAMERON/PENNSYLVANIA FARM BUREAU; COMMONWEALTH MEDIA SERVICES

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau

Pennsylvania State Education Association

credibility creates influence Government Relations Power 100

NFIB is the Voice of Small Business With 13,000 member businesses in the Commonwealth

Energy costs continue to soar as small businesses continue to struggle through the cold of winter. Harrisburg must act to alleviate the increased energy costs and the potential for new taxes which would saddle Main Street with the bill. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) would increase energy costs by approximately 30%, costing small businesses thousands of dollars and thwarting their ability to recover from the pandemic.

TIMWARD

Learn more at NFIB.com/PA

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recent state tax reform package that included a historic reduction of the corporate net income tax rate. The Allentown native, who has worked at the chamber since 2011, also coordinated a successful statewide campaign for legislation shielding businesses from an unemployment tax increase.

6 ALEXANDRA FETZKO

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DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

ALEX HALPER

The first woman to lobby for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, a state trial lawyers’ association, Alex Fetzko currently guides its legislative strategy on behalf of victims, consumers and workers. She also manages the association’s political action committee and works with national partners on consumer safety initiatives. Fetzko recently spearheaded efforts to defeat legislation relating to workers’ compensation and advocated for oversight provisions in the state’s new highly autonomous vehicles law.

VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Alex Halper has been one of Harrisburg’s most effective champions of pro-growth policies since becoming vice president of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the commonwealth’s largest employer advocacy association, last year. Halper helped lead efforts for the

Pennsylvania Association for Justice

Fetzko is the first woman to lobby for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice.

Laura Stevens Kent

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access to behavioral health services and addressing racial health equity.

LAURA STEVENS KENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADVOCACY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania Representing 235 of the commonwealth’s medical facilities and other stakeholders, Laura Stevens Kent leads advocacy and external affairs for The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. Kent joined the association’s lobbying team in 2013 and currently leads state and federal government relations, communications, and political engagement teams. Her recent projects have focused on stabilizing hospitals, addressing the health care workforce crisis, expanding

8 MICHAEL MCGEE CEO Pennsylvania Association of Realtors Leveraging his 30-plus years of association management

PA CHAMBER; GARY BRUNNER PHOTOGRAPHY; SAMANTHA GATESMAN

affairs at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she manages the legislative agenda as well as charitable giving. Prior to joining UPMC, Beam served as Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of health. In that role, she boosted state COVID-19 vaccination rates from 49th to 8th nationally within months and guided the strategic investment of $1.7 billion in federal pandemic stimulus funds. Beam had also previously served as Wolf’s deputy chief of staff.

January 16, 2023

CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING NAMED TO THE CITY & STATE PA POWER 100 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LIST! Mike McGee, CAE, RCE

CEO of Pennsylvania Association of Realtors®

PARealtors.org 800.555.3390

Congratulations, John!

John Bane DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS EQT CORPORATION

Congratulations to Amy Brinton, Government Affairs Manager at Duquesne Light Company, on being named a City & State Power 100 honoree! The DLC team is proud of you.

Government Relations Power 100

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January 16, 2023

Hammond led efforts to extend OSHA protections in public-sector workplaces. experience, Pennsylvania Association of Realtors CEO Michael McGee has successfully lobbied for changes in the tax code and other policies favorable to the PAR’s 40,000 members. He also works on grassroots advocacy to support the organization’s policy objectives, enhance member engagement and bolster access to legal services. Under McGee’s leadership, the association has raised record PAC funds to facilitate hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending on the most recent election cycle.

legislative director for nearly a decade before assuming his current role in 2019. He also guides the union’s advocacy with the CLEAR Coalition, which supports taxation for Marcellus Shale drillers and other corporate interests to fund a higher minimum wage and social priorities.

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SARAH HAMMOND

ERIKA BRUNELLE & KELLI THOMPSON

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Legislative Director Sarah Hammond is a familiar presence in Harrisburg and beyond, championing unemployment compensation, workplace safety and the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. On behalf of the organization’s 700,000 members, Hammond recently spearheaded bipartisan efforts to extend federal OSHA protections in public-sector workplaces, defeat anti-union legislation and secure a tax credit luring clean energy jobs to Pennsylvania. She also ran for Congress in 2020 and for state Senate against Doug Mastriano in 2019.

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ASSISTANT DIRECTORS OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Pennsylvania State Education Association The Pennsylvania State Education Association’s recent string of legislative victories owes a debt to Erika Brunelle and Kelli Thompson, assistant directors of government relations. Brunelle is known for leveraging strong bipartisan relationships to advance policy, including recent school safety measures and improved access to school-based mental health services. She was a key advocate for 2022 legislation addressing the educator shortage and workforce diversity. Thompson helped stabilize Erika Brunelle

FREDRICK CABELL JR.

MICHAEL MAGUIRE POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR AFSCME Council 13 Pennsylvania’s midterm elections were a resounding success for Michael Maguire and the advocacy he leads as political and legislative director of AFSCME Council 13, the 65,000-strong Harrisburg union. Maguire, a second-generation labor leader and a 22-year AFSCME member from Lancaster, was Council 13’s assistant

Pennsylvania Bar Association Frederick Cabell Jr. heads the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s legislative relations department, which represents the organization and its network of local bar associations before the General Assembly. Cabell guides the PBA’s legislative agenda, shaping policy proposals and identifying areas of interest to attorneys across the commonwealth. Prior to assuming the role in 2012, Cabell oversaw governmental affairs for the Pennsylvania Builders Association. He is also a former counsel to the Senate of Pennsylvania and a one-time state deputy attorney general.

Kelli Thompson

AFSCME COUNCIL 13; PROVIDED; JENNIFER STATLER

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DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

Penn State Health Congratulates

Sheilah Borne Vice President Government Relations Penn State Health

Named to City & State’s Power 100 Government Relations

HEA_6666_1222

Congratulates its President & CEO

KEVIN SHIVERS on being named to City and State Pennsylvania’s

Government Relations

POWER 100!

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January 16, 2023

Warfel oversees production of the Capitol Hill Report, a weekly news roundup. the pandemic-stressed public education system by championing 2020 legislation revising the state’s educator evaluation law. She also serves as the staff consultant to PSEA’s legislative committee, alongside 40 elected members from across the commonwealth.

14 JILL PENTO DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Pennsylvania Builders Association

NATHAN MAINS CEO Pennsylvania School Boards Association Public schools advocate Nathan Mains heads America’s oldest school boards association, representing 6,000 members in districts throughout the commonwealth. Mains’ recent accomplishments include launching the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute, a new training and education center, and the Great PA Schools program, which recognizes key successes. Under his leadership, the PSBA relocated to downtown Harrisburg, grew to nearly 70 employees, and expanded its Keystone Center for Charter Change initiative advancing charter reforms.

15 MIKE WARFEL VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Highmark For more than nearly three decades, Mark Warfel’s advocacy has helped Highmark grow into the $20 billion health system it is today. Warfel joined the company as director of government affairs in 1995, assumed his current post a decade later, and has been a consistent presence in Harrisburg and Washington,

Erin Kanter

D.C. throughout. In addition, he oversees production of the weekly Capitol Hill Report, a roundup of news concerning federal health policy, legislative proposals, entitlement programs, reimbursement changes and more.

16 BILL RIES ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT/ PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING UPMC Health Plan Bill Ries leads UPMC Health Plan’s presence in Harrisburg. He masterminded an industry coalition that helped pass state prior authorization legislation and led efforts to secure funding for UPMC’s Freedom House 2.0 program, which trains individuals from underserved communities for careers in community health roles. Ries also successfully advocated for UPMC Health Plan clinical leaders’ inclusion on state advisory boards

and policy commissions. He previously oversaw government relations for PPG Industries.

17 ERIN KANTER VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Pennsylvania Bankers Association After a stint in countylevel government, Erin Kanter recently assumed responsibility for government relations at the Pennsylvania Bankers Association. She successfully championed a measure allowing remote notaries to operate during the pandemic and has lobbied policymakers on taxes, elder financial abuse, blighted property legislation, cannabis banking and other industry issues. Kanter is a recent past president of the Pennsylvania Public Relations Society, and is also active with Women in Government Relations and the Pennsylvania Association of Government Relations.

PSBA; SARA HOCKER

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Jill Pento helps the Pennsylvania home construction industry build more than houses. As director of governmental affairs for the Pennsylvania Builders Association, Pento builds constructive relationships with state and federal policymakers on behalf of a statewide membership affiliated with 32 local associations. Under her leadership, the PBA continues its winning streak of getting at least one lobbied-for bill passed by the governor annually – including, most recently, legislation concerning the municipalities’ planning code, septic regulations and tax liabilities.

Congratulations to Temple Health’s

Katherine E. Levins, JD, MBA Vice President, Public Policy and Government Affairs Temple University Health System

On being recognized in City & State’s Power 100 – Government Relations.

PSATS congratulates Executive Director David Sanko on being named to Government Relations Power 100 by City and State. Pennsylvania’s local governments are well served!

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Compiled STATE Compiledby by CITY CITY && STATE TUESDAY, JUNE JUNE 1,1, 2021 TUESDAY, 2021

WEATHER: Philadelphia: partly sunny, high of 79; Harrisburg: mostly

cloudy, high of 78; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, of 76. WEATHER: Philadelphia: partly sunny, high high of 79; Harrisburg: mostly cloudy, high of 78; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, high of 76. FROM CITY & STATE

* Republican state Rep. Jim Cox has introduced legislation that would end FROM CITY & STATE the unemployment programs provided by the CARES Act while aiming to motivate unemployment claimants to find jobs by offering them a cash

* Republican Rep. Jim Cox has introduced legislation that would end bonusstate for finding work. the unemployment programs provided by the CARES Act while aiming to THIS MORNING: motivate NEW unemployment claimants to find jobs by offering them a cash bonus for* Republican finding work. leaders of the state House of Representatives threatened last Friday to impeach Philadelphia elections officials if they count undated mail

ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. NEW THIS MORNING:

* With the state’s wide-open races for governor and U.S. Senate taking

* Republican leaders of candidates the statewith House Representatives shape, Republican strongofties to Donald Trump arethreatened last and considered strongelections contendersofficials for the party’s nominations, The Friday to running impeach Philadelphia if they count undated mail Associated Press reports. ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. * Democratic state Rep. Amen Brown is crafting legislation to permanently

rid of a wide-open $5 copay stateraces prison inmates are required pay forSenate medical taking * With theget state’s for governor andto U.S.

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GREGORY MORELAND STATE DIRECTOR National Federation of Independent Business After two military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Greg Moreland, a Purple Heart combat veteran, went from serving his nation to fighting on behalf of 13,000 small business owners. As

state head of the National Federation of Independent Business, Moreland successfully advocated for new tax strategies beneficial to small businesses and represented his constituency in the recent negotiations over Pennsylvania’s historic corporate net income tax reform. Moreland also serves on the alumni board of Penn State Harrisburg and the executive board of the Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau.

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Appalachian basin. Under his leadership, the coalition and its technical advisory committees serve as a resource for key stakeholders on critical regulatory and policy areas. Callahan, a board member of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, has also engaged the commonwealth’s construction trades in collaborative advocacy for the natural gas industry, energy and environmental issues.

20 LYNDSAY MOYER & BRET PERKINS

DAVID CALLAHAN PRESIDENT Marcellus Shale Coalition Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Callahan leads advocacy and education around development and natural gas use in the David Callahan

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS; SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EXTERNAL AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Comcast As Comcast has grown to be the nation’s largest cable and internet services provider, Bret Perkins and Lyndsay Moyer have shaped the Philadelphia-based company’s public strategy and ensured its clout in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. Perkins is Comcast’s longtime senior vice president of external and government affairs, managing everything from outreach and communications to state- and federal-level advocacy. Moyer, who heads state government affairs for the telecom giant, works collaboratively with lawmakers, community and nonprofit leaders and other stakeholders on broadband policy, issues and initiatives, with a focus on expanding access and improving equity around digital communication in the state.

21 BILL JOHNSTON-WALSH STATE DIRECTOR AARP Pennsylvania A year ago, Bill Johnston-Walsh celebrated a major victory for AARP Pennsylvania: the passage of two bills aimed at helping Pennsylvania’s nearly 2 million seniors afford prescription drugs. Johnston-Walsh has since kept up the pressure on legislators, convening a recent roundtable with U.S. Sen. Bob Casey on increasing drug affordability through last year’s federal Inflation Reduction Act. He also continues to lobby for assistance with property taxes, access to health and home care and other priorities for people over 50.

22 JARRETT SMITH LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania Legislative Director Jarrett Smith lobbies on behalf of 45,000 union health workers statewide. He has championed measures funneling $250 million to bedside care resources and regulating health care facility ownership, as well as helping pass Philadelphia’s Public Health Emergency Leave Act. Smith, who previously mobilized the youth vote with NextGen America, is also a housing advocate who led a successful Philadelphia campaign for good-cause eviction

Johnston-Walsh continues to lobby for the priorities of Pennsylvanians over age 50.

PA HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS; MARCELLUS SHALE COALITION

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January 16, 2023

January 16, 2023

City & State Pennsylvania

protection legislation and currently chairs the legislative liaison committee for Philadelphia’s Rent Control Coalition.

and on the boards of the Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County. Over a half-dozen years at Penn State, Michael Stefan has successfully lobbied for state-level legislation benefiting the commonwealth’s flagship university. His accomplishments include 2018’s Timothy Piazza antihazing law; a 2021 promotional materials law protecting the rights of student-athletes; and a 2019 pension reform that yielded significant savings. Stefan – who previously held legislative leadership roles with several state agencies and the Pennsylvania AFLCIO – currently serves on the Shapiro transition advisory

Zack Moore

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Mike Stefan

ZACK MOORE & MIKE STEFAN

STEVE TRESSLER; PATRICK MANSELL, PENN STATE; ANGELA DELONG

Stefan has successfully lobbied for legislation benefiting Penn State.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS; ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR STATE RELATIONS Penn State University Zack Moore has been communicating with elected officials on his alma mater’s behalf since 2007. His years of legislative experience in both the U.S. Senate and House have helped him advance the priorities of Penn State, the commonwealth’s only land-grant university. Moore has served on the steering committee of the Association of American Universities’ Council on Federal Relations

committee on education and workforce development.

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Wine and Good Spirits stores, which he defended against a recent privatization effort. Naylor successfully lobbied for on-site vaccine clinics for essential UFCW workers in 2021, and the following year coordinated with Allegheny County officials to support a successful union organizing campaign at Coffee Tree Roasters.

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CHRIS NAYLOR LEGISLATIVE AND POLITICAL DIRECTOR UFCW Local 1776 From groceries to meatpacking, cannabis to health care, Chris Naylor advocates for workers across myriad industries as legislative director of UFCW Local 1776. Naylor represents 30,000 union members across the commonwealth – including employees with state Fine Pam Witmer

DOUGLAS I. OLIVER VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS PECO, an Exelon Company Douglas Oliver joined PECO in 2016 and now oversees government and external affairs for the Exelon company. In this role, he guides outreach, legislative strategy and economic development initiatives for the commonwealth’s largest electric and natural gas utility. Oliver, who ran for mayor of Philadelphia in 2015, previously served as vice president of external affairs for Philadelphia Gas Works. He has also worked as press secretary for the City of Philadelphia and directed communications for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.

26 PAM WITMER VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UGI Energy Services Pam Witmer brings her lengthy experience in energy and environmental issues to Wyomissing-based UGI Energy Services, where she lobbies and educates federal, state and local policymakers. Among

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her recent accomplishments is an effort she spearheaded to defeat a tax proposal that would have increased consumer electricity rates. Prior to joining UGI, Witmer was a commissioner with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and served as president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council.

27 CHRISTINE MARTIN VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER PPL Corporation With the American transition from fossil fuels well underway, Christine Martin ensures PPL Corporation has a prominent voice in the energy conversation. Martin oversees public affairs and serves as chief sustainability officer for the Allentown-based energy outfit, making the case for its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while lobbying for the infrastructure and government support necessary to get there. Martin joined PPL 20 years ago as vice president for state government relations, having previously served as senior policy manager to former Gov. Tom Ridge.

commonwealth’s lawmakers. On Thompson’s mind this year are proposed policy changes around health insurer physician credentialing, non-compete clauses in physician contracts and finally establishing a state telemedicine framework. Thompson, who has been with the group since 1988, recently celebrated the passage of prior authorization reform.

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SHEILAH BORNE

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Pennsylvania Medical Society With 30-plus new Pennsylvania legislators inaugurated this month, David Thompson is looking forward to educating them about the Pennsylvania Medical Society, where, as senior director of government affairs, he has long cultivated relationships with the

29 ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT HEALTH RELATIONS Penn State For nearly two decades, Sheilah Borne has represented Penn State’s diverse health care

30 ERIC MOCK DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND LOBBYIST Pennsylvania Association for Justice interests before local, state and federal policymakers. Borne, who joined the university’s Office of Government and Community Relations in 2004, was until recently also on the other side of government relations: In 2022, she ended a term as mayor of Paxtang Borough in Dauphin County. She currently chairs the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce government relations committee and also serves as vice chair of the chamber’s executive committee.

Martin is making the case for the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

As the Pennsylvania Association for Justice’s chief lobbyist, Eric Mock implements a broad legislative strategy around civil justice in the General Assembly and the governor’s office. He has worked closely on recent policy in collaboration with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association; collaborated to oppose judicial gerrymandering; and championed measures around insurance, safety and oversight protections for highly autonomous vehicles. Mock previously spent more than a dozen years as a legislative staffer for the House Democratic Caucus.

GARY BRUNNER PHOTOGRAPHY; JILLIAN MORRISON; KATHRYN MORTON, APSCUF

DAVID THOMPSON

Eric Mock

January 16, 2023

31 SHARON ROTH SENIOR ADVISER OF PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FirstEnergy For 15 years, Sharon Roth has represented FirstEnergy before elected officials and government agencies. Under her guidance, FirstEnergy has participated in statewide and regional forums in collaboration with groups like the Penn State Women’s Leadership Initiative and Leadership Centre County’s Government Day. Prior to joining FirstEnergy, Roth spent 14 years at the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry – where, in addition to her advocacy work and extensive public speaking, she was a governor’s appointee through four administrations to the Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee.

32 JEFFREY COOPER VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS University of Pennsylvania From the University of Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia campus to Harrisburg and

City & State Pennsylvania

beyond, Jeffrey Cooper represents the storied Ivy League institution as its vice president for government and community affairs. Since assuming the role in 2008, Cooper has guided the university’s relationships with government officials, community organizations and other entities. He was previously chief counsel for the Pennsylvania State System for Higher Education under then-Gov. Ed Rendell, for whom he also served as executive deputy general counsel.

33 GEORGE KENNEY & DENNIS LYNCH ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR ADVISER FOR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS; ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Temple University Dennis Lynch and George Kenney guide Temple University’s legislative agenda. Kenney, an associate vice president, assumed the role of senior adviser for federal, state and local advocacy in 2009 after a quarter-century representing Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Urban Affairs and Health and Human Services committees. Kenney also serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. Dennis Lynch joined Temple in 2005 after working for a number of politicians, including as a field director for George W. Bush’s presidential campaign. Lynch serves as assistant vice president for government relations and also serves on SEPTA’s Citizen Advisory Committee.

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SEAN CRAMPSIE

JEN QUINN

DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

LEGISLATIVE AND POLITICAL DIRECTOR

Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties

Sierra Club

On behalf of the people who work and study at the commonwealth’s 14 stateowned universities, Sean Crampsie heads government relations for the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties. Crampsie secured increased state funding for public higher education in the 2022-23 budget, and has collaborated with labor leaders to defeat anti-union legislation and protect university workers’ rights. In addition, Crampsie is currently serving a second term on the Carlisle Borough Council.

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Jen Quinn lives in Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region but is more often found in Harrisburg, making the environmental case as legislative and political director for the Sierra Club. Quinn advocates for policy that puts the brakes on climate change and pollution, protects water and other natural resources, and promotes public health and environmental justice by regulating land use, energy and transportation. She also coordinates teams of volunteer lobbyists to keep up the legislative pressure and support the Sierra Club Pennsylvania PAC. Sean Crampsie

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Tim Ward

managed education and training, career development and labor relations for the GCAP, which is the umbrella group for the General Building Contractors Association, Keystone Contractors Association, and Master Builders’ Association of Western PA. This year, Kohr will serve as committee chair for the Pennsylvania Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference.

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Association of Township Supervisors. He oversees a century-old group that includes five professional associations – for solicitors, engineers, planners, zoning and emergency management – as well as a grassroots advocacy network promoting township interests at the state and federal levels. Sanko also highlights township-level issues through his organization’s annual conference, a weekly video program and an awardwinning monthly magazine, the Pennsylvania Township News.

DAVE KRALLE CHIEF OF STAFF Essential Utilities

TIM WARD DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Pennsylvania Health Care Association Since 2021, Montgomery County native Tim Ward has led government relations at the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, where he guides legislative efforts to strengthen long-term care. In the 2022 state budget, Ward helped secure a historic 17.5% Medicaid rate increase for skilled nursing homes. He also championed a bill around oversight of staffing agencies serving Pennsylvania’s nursing and senior residences, and

37 SETH KOHR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND SAFETY General Contractors Association of Pennsylvania As head of government relations and safety for the General Contractors Association of Pennsylvania, Seth Kohr advances the agenda of 600-plus commercial construction outfits throughout the commonwealth. He also oversees safety and has

39 DAVID M. SANKO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors From infrastructure grants to insurance programs, David Sanko champions local opportunities as head of the Pennsylvania State

40 LISA SCHAEFER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania For a dozen years, Lisa Schaefer has been a prominent voice for countylevel policies and priorities at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, where she has served as executive director since 2019. Schaefer, who previously directed the association’s government relations, worked with the attorney general’s office to ensure that counties benefit directly from state opioid settlement funds. She has also advocated for expanded broadband service and works closely with state lawmakers on priorities such as election reform and mental health funding.

ERIC HEISLER/PA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION; PROVIDED; ROGER THAT PHOTOGRAPHY; DAN BURKE

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successfully lobbied for $430 million in federal stimulus monies for long-term care providers.

Before assuming the role of chief of staff at Bryn Mawrbased Essential Utilities last August, Dave Kralle was the longtime government affairs specialist for Aqua Pennsylvania, Essential’s water and wastewater treatment subsidiary. He successfully lobbied for key legislation – including measures regulating utility water system purchases and allowing utilities to replace lead service lines – as well as millions in appropriations for water safety treatment. In his new role, Kralle supports Essential Chair and CEO Christopher Franklin in strategy implementation, communication and other essential roles.

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41 KRISTEN MOLLOY CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS Penn Medicine The prestigious and everexpanding Penn Medicine empire entrusts its public affairs to Kristen Molloy, who heads government and community relations for the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the Perelman School of Medicine. Molloy is also responsible for the health system’s federal public policy agenda, lobbying legislators and stakeholders in Washington, D.C. She previously served as a health policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and to U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey.

City & State Pennsylvania

to enact several laws making health care more affordable and improving Pennsylvania’s tax and regulatory climate. He also helped found the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform, served on the transition team for former Gov. Tom Corbett and currently sits on the board of directors for the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education.

43 BETH WINTERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers From grand jury reform to problematic sentencing and evidence guidelines, Kristen Molloy

Levins has led women’s health initiatives in Philadelphia neighborhoods. attorney Beth Winters leads advocacy on behalf of the commonwealth’s criminal justice lawyers and their defendants. Winters is the longtime director of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, where she leads education and outreach and shapes an equity-focused legislative agenda at a time when criminal justice is under increased scrutiny. She previously oversaw government relations for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and served as executive director and general counsel for Drug Free Pennsylvania.

44 KATHERINE E. LEVINS VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Temple University Health System As chief lobbyist for the Temple University Health System, Katherine E. Levins works closely with federal, state and local officials to ensure health care access across Southeast Pennsylvania, as well as medical education for the next generation of health care professionals. Levins, herself a graduate of Temple University’s law and master’s degree programs, coordinates partnerships between Temple Health and other organizations to facilitate housing and other social services for seniors, families and people with substance use disorders. She has also spearheaded women’s health initiatives in underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods.

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KEVIN SHIVERS

DON HOUSER

PRESIDENT AND CEO

DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS – NORTHEAST

Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers A certified association executive with extensive experience in government and public policy, Kevin Shivers is the CEO of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers. As a lobbyist, Shivers has helped

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BHE GT&S Energy and politics have defined the career of Don Houser, who currently oversees advocacy and community outreach in Pennsylvania and New York as external affairs director for BHE GT&S, an interstate

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46 HUGH J. LAVERY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health In Washington, Harrisburg and Trenton, Hugh Lavery makes the case for advancing health care policy on behalf of Jefferson, a university health system whose services have rapidly expanded across Greater Philadelphia. He also

guides Jefferson’s growing slate of strategic partnerships and affiliations. Lavery has held a number of management roles at Jefferson and currently serves as the hospitals and health care co-chair for the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

PA Broadband Authority. Brinton previously spent 13 years in various capacities with the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus, including as executive director for the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

47 AMY BRINTON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER Duquesne Light Company Since 2018, Amy Brinton has helped shape Pennsylvania’s energy policy as government affairs manager for the Duquesne Light Company. Brinton lobbied for the PA Local Solar bill – the state House of Representatives’ first renewable energy legislation in over a decade – and served as a key resource for legislators drafting the measure that created the Amy Brinton

48 EZRA THRUSH SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PennFuture Having campaigned for PennFuture’s watershed initiative and other projects, Ezra Thrush now heads policy for this statewide environmental advocacy organization. Thrush serves as PennFuture’s chief lobbyist and strategist in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., and represents the group on the steering committee of the Choose Clean Water Coalition, for which he previously led outreach campaigns focused on water quality. Thrush has also worked on policy around public lands, environmental appropriations and clean energy, and previously worked in policy and advocacy for South Central Community Action Programs.

49 JOHN S. BRENNER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Municipal League John Brenner brings a wealth of experience to his new role heading the Pennsylvania Municipal League, a nonprofit organization that strengthens and empowers local governments. Previously, as the league’s deputy executive director, Brenner expanded membership through marketing and recruitment; as its director of development, he cultivated relationships with statewide lawmakers and developed a crisis task force. Brenner also served 10 years as mayor of York and is a previous executive director of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute.

50 JOHN BANE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS EQT Corporation John Bane directs government and community affairs in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia at EQT Corporation, the country’s largest producer of natural gas. Bane has racked up numerous energy policy wins in Pennsylvania and beyond, drawing on his background working for former Gov. Ed Rendell and lobbying for a public-sector union and a national law firm. The Schuylkill County native also chairs the

Lavery works on advancing health care policy on behalf of Jefferson University.

GORDON BRINTON JR; JAMIE BRYANT; INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS; EDWIN WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

national gas transmission and storage company. In addition to his Pittsburghbased role at this Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary, Houser serves on the board of directors of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. He previously managed state policy in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg for Dominion Energy, and is a former elected commissioner of Susquehanna Township.

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Marcellus Shale Coalition board of directors and was appointed to the Shapiro transition team, where he serves on the energy subcommittee.

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League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, where she chairs the government policy team. Working closely with groups like the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center and All Voting is Local, Gobreski promotes voting access and county election funding, weighs in on redistricting and recruits poll workers.

55 STEPHEN M. BRAME PRESIDENT AND CEO

51 KIMBERLY J. KOCKLER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Independence Blue Cross Health care lobbyist Kimberly Kockler is a familiar face in Harrisburg, where she currently directs state legislative advocacy for Independence Blue Cross, a corporation that generates $22 billion annually. Kockler joined IBX in 2014, having previously overseen government affairs for Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania and having served as executive director of the Managed Care Association of Pennsylvania. She is currently a member of Women in Pennsylvania Government Relations.

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Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Susan Gobreski

secured a $36 million state recovery package to help commonwealth agriculture recover from an avian influenza outbreak. Pennsylvania was the only state in America to provide recovery funding – a testament to the persuasive power of PennAg’s 20-year chief lobbyist, a Lancaster County farm native and Department of Agriculture veteran who boasts of having sheared 10,000 sheep. Herr currently serves on the Shapiro transition team for agriculture and rural issues.

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CHRISTIAN HERR

DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs

PennAg Industries Association

The commonwealth’s 956 borough governments – more than a third of all municipal governments statewide – are represented by Ed Troxell, who leads government affairs

On behalf of PennAg Industries Association, Christian Herr recently

for the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs. His recent state- and federallevel efforts have concerned such issues as property taxes, broadband expansion in rural areas and raising compensation for elected officials. Troxell also oversaw the launch of the PSAB’s Advocacy Action Network, an outreach campaign engaging members in public policy issues.

54 SUSAN GOBRESKI BOARD DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT POLICY; PRINCIPAL League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania; Sedgwick Group By day, Susan Gobreski is a strategist with Sedgwick Group, her consulting firm supporting mission-driven organizations. She is also a passionate political advocate who serves on the board of directors of the

Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association CEO Stephen Brame is a passionate advocate for rural issues, rallying his constituency to political action on behalf of an industry that serves a quartermillion commonwealth households. Brame works with the General Assembly to pass legislation vital to PREA’s 13 member cooperatives, including the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, yielding $100 million in cooperative savings, and a key measure safeguarding unclaimed cooperative property. Brame is also treasurer and governor’s representative for the board of directors of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

56 KATI BRILLHART GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children Children’s health care and K-12 education are the policy focus for Kati Brillhart, a government affairs director at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. As lawmakers

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Brian Tierney

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PennEnvironment also won the largest citizen suit penalties in Pennsylvania history against illegal polluters. More recently, Masur steered $1 million from PennEnvironment and its affiliated PACs to the campaigns of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro; he serves on the latter’s transition team, as he did for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Gov. Tom Wolf.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NICHOLE DUFFY

PennEnvironment

VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Hate plastic bags? Thank David Masur for helping get rid of them: He helped 10 Pennsylvania towns pass bag bans, averting 900 tons of plastic waste annually. Under Masur’s leadership,

Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania The 100 member schools of the Association of David Masur

60 BRIAN BARNO VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania

Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania count on Nichole Duffy for representation before state and federal policymakers – especially at state budget time, when she lobbies on behalf of the aid programs that facilitate private education. Duffy has also championed COVID-19 relief for the $20 billion state industry, which has taken a hit during years of pandemic disruptions. She burnished her education policy credentials during stints at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the state Department of Education.

Sixty-five years after the Keystone State’s first television industry association was established, Brian Barno leads legislative efforts for its modern incarnation, the Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania, whose industry has a $15 billion statewide impact annually. In his role overseeing government affairs, Barno is a familiar presence before the General Assembly and when he liaises with the governor’s office and local officials on issues ranging from net neutrality to broadband access across the state’s rural areas.

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JOE CONTI

MARK REISINGER

PRESIDENT

CHIEF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICER

Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Joe Conti’s family and career came full circle in 2017, when he became president of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters – representing the profession of his father, a co-owner of WBUX 1570. Conti has modernized the nation’s first broadcasters' association, advocating before lawmakers on communications issues and spearheading member service programs. His political chops were honed over 19 elections as a local official and, later, a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, as well as during his tenure as chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Geisinger From insurance reimbursements to the challenges of rural health care, Mark Reisinger lends his expertise to government relations on behalf of Geisinger Health System, where he is the vice president overseeing multilevel advocacy that includes a Pennsylvania political action committee. Throughout the pandemic, Reisinger has negotiated CARES Act and other pandemic-related funding for Geisinger hospitals, and has worked closely with lawmakers on issues like telemedicine affecting the 10-hospital-campus health system and its largely rural clientele across 46 counties.

CLAIRE DUFFY; JENNE TURNER; ALYSSA SKERPON; PROVIDED

mull the annual state budget, Brillhart presses for funding directed to Medicaid, CHIP, pre-K and child care programs. She also lobbies for policies such as a recent bill providing education guidance for foster children. Before joining PPC, Brillhart spent five years working on health legislation as a policy analyst for AmeriHealth Caritas.

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62 MELANIE HORVATH DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Pennsylvania American Water Over more than a decade in strategic communications – most recently, as director of government affairs for Pennsylvania American Water – Melanie Horvath has advocated for improving the commonwealth’s quality of life. Her legislative victories include earmarking tobacco settlement monies for Pennsylvania’s health care, spearheading a campaign to modernize alcohol laws, and updating water and wastewater regulations. During the pandemic, Horvath lobbied for practice parity among pharmacists, helping secure retail vaccine administration. She previously worked in communications roles for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, former Gov. Tom Ridge and others.

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best Pennsylvania employers ranking by Forbes Magazine. A nurse by training, Angello was previously AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania’s associate vice president for patient care management.

64 DOUGLAS FURNESS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS Capital Blue Cross The 2021-2022 legislative session was a successful one for Doug Furness. As senior director of government and regulatory affairs at Capital Blue Cross, he lobbied for a historic health insurance law reforming prior authorization, as well as legislation regulating the Children’s Health Insurance Program bidding process. Furness’s experience includes advocacy for the Insurance Federation and serving as legislative director at the state Departments of Agriculture

and Insurance in the Rendell administration, where he was also deputy secretary for legislative affairs.

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66 ALEX BALOGA PRESIDENT AND CEO Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association

LIZ FERRY VICE PRESIDENT, STATE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia Liz Ferry makes the case for Pennsylvania’s largest city in Harrisburg. As vice president for state legislative affairs for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Ferry guides strategic relationships and champions legislation aimed at continuing the city’s economic success, compiling updates she chronicles in a weekly newsletter. Ferry’s priorities include attracting businesses and the professionals that fuel them, promoting sustainable energy, boosting Philadelphia’s marquee health and life science industries, and facilitating regional infrastructure.

After successfully shepherding the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association through the challenges of the pandemic, CEO Alex Baloga is focused on priorities that affect the bottom line for his constituency, which includes 250,000 employees at 800 companies across the commonwealth. On Baloga’s agenda are corporate tax reform and opposition to sales taxes, greater freedom around alcohol and cannabis sales, and opposition to bans on cigarettes and plastic bags. Baloga, who has been with the association since 2013, previously worked as a lobbyist with Greenlee Partners.

Douglas Furness

MARGE ANGELLO MARKET PRESIDENT AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania Market President Marge Angello’s leadership at AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania is evident in the plaudits garnered by this Medicaid managed care plan, which serves nearly a half-million commonwealth residents. Responsible for medical affairs and quality control, Angello has guided the plan to the highest-level accreditation status by the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings, as well as a top-20

67 BRITTANY MAKO PRESIDENT Pennsylvania Association for Government Relations As of this month, the Pennsylvania Association for Government Relations has a new president – Lehigh Valley native Brittany Mako, who takes over for newly

Melissa Reed

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Walliser helped guide landmark conservation and recreation funding. elected State Rep. Justin Fleming. Mako is currently the senior government affairs representative for Capital Blue Cross and previously helped elect GOP majorities as a staffer with the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee. She also has a long involvement with Pennsylvania Young Republicans, where she has served as secretary and was the organization's Female Leader of the Year in 2018.

Power Sustainable Energy Fund and the citizens advisory council of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

69 DOMENICK ARGENTO DIRECTOR OF STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND POLICY Merck

JOHN WALLISER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF LEGAL AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Pennsylvania Environmental Council From the Allegheny forests to the Delaware River watershed, John Walliser advocates for policies protecting the commonwealth’s landscape as head of legal and government affairs for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. Last year, Walliser led the PEC’s role in a bipartisan coalition that helped guide enactment of landmark conservation and recreation funding. He also serves on the board of directors of the West Penn

70 VICTORIA ELLIOTT CEO Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association As pharmacists took on a greater societal role during the pandemic, Victoria Elliott, CEO of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, has advocated for legislation

recognizing their prominence. Elliott supervises a state and federal program prioritizing greater agency for pharmacists around vaccine administration, drug disbursement, First Amendment rights and inclusion on Social Security provider lists. A veteran of executive association and development roles, Elliott was previously CEO for the Association of the Advancement of Wound Care.

71 MELISSA REED PRESIDENT AND CEO Planned Parenthood Keystone With abortion rights imperiled nationwide following the end of Roe v. Wade, Melissa Reed is busy corralling the support of prominent politicians like Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro for Planned Parenthood Keystone, the health care organization she heads. Under

her leadership, PPKeystone has increased abortion access, expanded sex education, and completed a multimilliondollar capital campaign that funded two state-of-the-art facilities. Reed, an attorney, also serves as vice chair of the board for Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, the state organization’s lobbying, organizing and electoral arm.

72 KRISTEN FARRY VICE PRESIDENT OF POLICY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Woods Services Kristen Farry is policy chief at Woods Services, a nonprofit organization where she advocates for services and employment opportunities on behalf of people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. In this role, Farry helped shape the legislative agendas that created Pennsylvania’s

PEC; KATE MCKEE; HOLLY CAMERON/PENNSYLVANIA FARM BUREAU

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A familiar face in Harrisburg and an 18-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry, Domenick Argento has for a decade supervised state lobbying efforts for Merck, where he secured funding for manufacturing investment and successfully lobbied for Pennsylvania’s Research and Development Tax Credit program. Argento, who served as deputy secretary for legislative affairs in the Ridge and Schweiker administrations, currently chairs the Pennsylvania PhRMA task force and serves on the board of the Life Sciences Pennsylvania state policy work group.

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Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and streamlined the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program. She is also a Langhorne Borough Council member, board chair of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Shapiro transition team.

73 CHRIS ABEEL VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS CrossState Credit Union Association Chris Abeel heads government affairs for 5 million members of the CrossState Credit Union Association, an organization founded from the 2020 merger of New Jersey’s and Pennsylvania’s credit union associations. On behalf of 519 local credit unions with combined assets of $63 billion, Abeel provides advocacy around compliance, regulatory and other critical operational issues before policymakers in Harrisburg, Trenton and Washington, D.C. for the industry. He also oversees the CrossState PAC and mobilizes membership in grassroots advocacy.

74 KEVIN MOODY GENERAL COUNSEL AND VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association Veteran energy attorney Kevin Moody oversees government relations for the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association, a 500-member coalition of energy producers, drilling contractors, distributors and other stakeholders, including

City & State Pennsylvania

those involving the Marcellus and Utica shale developments. Moody, who has worked at the State Department of Revenue and Public Utility Commission, leads advocacy that promotes the commonwealth’s oil and gas development while mitigating what the industry considers unfavorable regulation. He also serves as general counsel, representing PIOGA in litigation and providing strategic guidance.

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Harrisburg. Shaheen heads the public policy division of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, a nonprofit devoted to promoting religious liberty and family values and opposing abortion. Apart from lobbying lawmakers, he orchestrates grassroots coalitions and produces voter guides, talking points and legislative updates on topics including, most recently, parents’ rights, sexuality in school curricula and the integrity of women’s sports.

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MANAGER, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

LAUREN BRINJAC

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau

Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association

Justin Clapper recently assumed responsibility for government affairs and communications at the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, where he led successful advocacy for the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, a statewide costshare initiative promoting environmental management. Clapper also secured increased state funding for the Center for Beef Excellence’s grant programs. He currently chairs the Bedford County Penn State Extension Council, serves on the Penn State Ag Council Board and is a member of the Shapiro transition team for economic development.

76 THOMAS J. SHAHEEN VICE PRESIDENT FOR POLICY Pennsylvania Family Institute For more than 30 years, Thomas Shaheen has championed pro-life conservative causes in

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

As the commonwealth’s hospitality industry rebounds from the pandemic, Lauren Brinjac lobbies for measures addressing the workforce Justin Clapper

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shortage and bolstering the industry’s return to health. She oversees legislative advocacy for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, leading efforts to expand the state’s COVID-19 hospitality recovery program, privatize and liberalize alcohol sales, and increase funding for state tourism marketing. Prior to joining PRLA in 2022, Brinjac directed government affairs for insurance agents and brokers, and served as legislative coordinator for the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

78 ELIZABETH RANDOL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR ACLU of Pennsylvania Voters looking to assess their lawmakers or become more politically involved have new tools thanks to Elizabeth Randol, who, since 2017, has served as legislative director

David Kerr

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and lead lobbyist for ACLU Pennsylvania. Randol, who has held a number of policy and advocacy roles, recently developed ACLU-PA’s online scorecard to rate politicians’ votes on civil liberties issues. She also spearheaded Advocate Academy, a program that trains constituent lobbyists, and the annual “More Law, Less Justice” report, assessing the General Assembly’s work on criminal justice.

network. He previously held leadership positions with the Schweiker and Ridge administrations.

83 MARIA GOELLNER PENNSYLVANIA STATE DIRECTOR FAMM

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Associated Pennsylvania Constructors Jason Wagner keeps his eyes firmly on the road as policy director and chief lobbyist for the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors, which represents the commonwealth’s highway construction industry. He helped make Pennsylvania one of just five states to pass a work zone speed enforcement law and currently advocates for state highway funding as well as reform of PennDOT’s capital program bidding process. Prior to joining APC in 2006, Wagner worked on policy and legislation as a research analyst for the House Transportation Committee.

80 LAURA AINSMAN SOHINKI SENIOR DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce As head of government affairs for the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Allegheny

Conference on Community Development, Laura Sohinki spearheads efforts to promote public-sector investment and economic development across a 10-county region. She collaborates with regional and elected leaders on initiatives like a historic reduction of Pennsylvania’s corporate income tax. Sohinki, who previously oversaw public affairs for the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, is also active with the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Community Relations Council.

81 MARISA SWARNEY DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Pennsylvania Dental Association Marisa Swarney heads the public affairs team and guides the legislative agenda for the Pennsylvania Dental Association, a role she has held for nearly a quartercentury. Working closely with lawmakers, health professionals and other stakeholders, Swarney leads

state and federal advocacy for a 6,000-member professional organization affiliated with the American Dental Association, the world’s largest and oldest dental society. In this role, Swarney also serves as staff moderator of the PDA’s advisory groups on oral health, dental benefits and government relations.

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Public interest attorney and social justice advocate Maria Goellner is the Pennsylvania state policy director for FAMM, a national nonpartisan criminal justice reform organization. Since assuming the role in 2021, she has led advocacy for expanded clemency, early release for elderly prisoners and sentencing reforms in the state with the Northeastern U.S.’s highest incarceration rate. Recently appointed to the Shapiro transition advisory committee on public safety, Goellner previously worked as the assistant federal defender for the Western District of Pennsylvania's Erie Division.

DAVID KERR PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AT&T With more than two decades of telecommunications experience, David Kerr has steered public affairs for AT&T Pennsylvania, where he is the primary liaison with state and local government while leading public policy and corporate social responsibility efforts across the commonwealth. Kerr led a coalition that championed 2021 legislation facilitating wireless infrastructure, and also served as AT&T’s point person on the Pennsylvania implementation of Congress’s FirstNet platform, a nationwide public safety broadband

84 ZACH SMITH DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS CNX Resources Energy lobbyist Zach Smith currently oversees federal

TIM ROBERTS, CNX RESOURCES; JENNIFER GIBBONS; INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS

DIRECTORY OF POLICY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

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and state government affairs in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia for CNX Resources, a Pittsburghbased independent natural gas company. Prior to joining CNX in 2021, Smith served in various public and government relations roles at CONSOL Energy and worked for a Pennsylvania-based lobbying firm focused on energy matters. He has also served on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s climate change advisory committee.

City & State Pennsylvania

Calcara educates state lawmakers on a variety of economic issues.

86 JOHNATHAN SAVANT DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Insurance Agents and Brokers

85 JARET GIBBONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Association Attorney Jaret Gibbons heads the Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Association, representing the coal refuse reclamation to alternative energy industry. After five terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Gibbons joined ARIPPA in 2018 and has successfully lobbied for measures aimed at stabilizing the industry, including legislation doubling the Coal Refuse Energy and Reclamation Tax Credit to $20 million annually. Gibbons also serves on the climate change advisory committee at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

In 2022, lobbyist Johnathan Savant assumed responsibility for government affairs for the Insurance Agents and Brokers in Pennsylvania. The same year, he successfully advocated for legislation protecting independent insurance agents who work with cannabis-related businesses. Savant has also expanded IA&B’s three-state government relations program and engaged with lawmakers on issues like property and casualty insurance

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regulation, health, privacy and cybersecurity. He previously directed government and community affairs for the Reading-Berks Association of Realtors.

top of state policy around roads, vehicles and drivers by collaborating with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, a national advocacy organization, and working with local and state lawmakers on issues affecting motorcycle enthusiasts. Crum also organizes grassroots political action and outreach events, including an annual Capitol Lobby Day for A.B.A.T.E.’s membership.

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SCOTT CRUM

PETER CALCARA

LEGISLATIVE COORDINATOR

VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Keeping the roads friendly for motorcyclists, Scott Crum serves as legislative coordinator for the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education of Pennsylvania. In this role, Crum keeps on Johnathan Savant

Pennsylvania’s recent legislation reforming corporate taxes, as well as significant changes to the state’s CPA Law, got an assist from Peter Calcara, who leads Harrisburg lobbying for the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. As chief legislative and political advocate for 20,000 CPAs across the state, Calcara educates lawmakers on a variety of economic issues and ensures the state’s CPA licensing statute remains a national industry model. He was recently appointed to the Shapiro transition team’s advisory committee on state government operations.

89 JOANNE MANGANELLO DIRECTOR OF PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LIUNA Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizing Coalition Labor and energy lobbyist Joanne Manganello heads state advocacy on behalf of union

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90 MARK STINE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PA Automotive Association As chief policy advocate for the Pennsylvania Automotive Association, Mark Stine is a prominent figure in the commonwealth’s expanding electric vehicle industry. Representing franchised newvehicle dealers, he promotes dialogue with Pennsylvania’s state legislature, executive branch and congressional delegates at a moment when energy policy is rapidly transforming the American automotive landscape. Stine began his career as an analyst with the legislative budget and finance committee of the General Assembly and joined the PAA in 1994.

91 SCOTT PAUCHNIK SENIOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE FedEx Deliveries have skyrocketed since Scott Pauchnik assumed his senior role overseeing public affairs for FedEx in 2008, managing state and local government relations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio and West Virginia. Pauchnik also sits on the executive boards of the trucking associations for those states and has used his influence to advocate for a regulatory framework around personal delivery devices operating in Pennsylvania. He began his career as a legislative analyst and director of legislative affairs at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

to address gun violence. He previously served as consumer watchdog for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and as deputy director for PennEnvironment, and is currently on the Shapiro transition team for public safety.

Stores. Holub now advocates for the commonwealth’s diverse retail businesses and presses a legislative agenda around wages, taxes, consumer convenience measures and those everannoying credit card swipe fees.

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ADAM GARBER

JOHN R. HOLUB

ERIC KIEHL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CeaseFirePA

Pennsylvania Retailers’ Association

DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PARTNERSHIP

As the head of CeaseFirePA, Adam Garber is on the front line of addressing the commonwealth’s rising gun violence problem. His team helped secure $170 million for community violenceprevention programs, as well as bipartisan support for the first federal gun safety legislation in decades. Garber also spearheaded a coalition of 130 organizations

Rising retail crime, higher labor costs and ongoing supply chain hiccups are challenges that John Holub is tackling as CEO of the Pennsylvania Retailers’ Association. Holub is an industry veteran who previously helmed the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association and the New Jersey Council of Chain Drug

Stine is a prominent figure in the state's expanding electric vehicle industry.

Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers Throughout the pandemic, the commonwealth’s public health infrastructure has benefited from the advocacy of Eric Kiehl, who since 2020 has directed policy and partnerships at the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. Kiehl secured state and federal funds for the COVID-19 response at Pennsylvania’s 350 local health clinics, as well as additional appropriations for the PA Primary Care loan repayment program. A 20-year veteran of health policy, Kiehl also lobbies for efforts to support

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workers for the LIUNA Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizing Coalition. She worked with business and labor leaders to pass a 2020 tax incentive for new manufacturing facilities, as well as 2022 legislation to prioritize commonwealth construction workers for public projects. Manganello, who previously worked at the Pennsylvania General Assembly and as legislative director for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, currently serves on the Shapiro transition team’s advisory committee for transportation and infrastructure.

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Noah Karn

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universal, high-quality primary health care.

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ANDREW ARMAGOST DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AND ANALYTICS

EMMA WATSON

Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials

PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Seeing disparities firsthand as a human services worker, Emma Watson resolved to be part of the solution. Watson now advocates for the vulnerable as government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, where she has achieved legislative wins related to tobacco control, patient care access and appropriations for public health programming. She recently engaged a coalition of more than 70 organizations to enact historic reform around prior authorization and step therapy, improving the availability of health care.

96 DANIEL CAMARDA DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS University of Pittsburgh As part of the University of Pittsburgh’s government relations and advocacy team, Daniel Camarda manages a multi-level strategy on behalf of an institution with a $5.2 billion annual impact. Camarda oversees Pitt’s relations with city government, Allegheny County, the commonwealth and Washington, D.C., cultivating relationships with legislators and key agencies. His success is evidenced by the university's growing

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stature, with nearly $1 billion in research grants and contracts and a flourishing symbiosis with the local economy.

97 NOAH KARN DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania After working in both chambers of the state General Assembly, Pittsburgh native Noah Karn joined the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania in 2018 as its director of government affairs. He advocates on behalf of myriad carriers across industries, promoting a stable insurance climate in Pennsylvania, the nation’s fifth-largest insurance marketplace and the 14thlargest globally. Karn formerly served as chief of staff in the state Senate and as a top aide to the speaker of the state House.

98 JOE MEADE VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Comcast Spectacor Joe Meade leads government and external affairs for Comcast Spectacor, the telecommunications giant’s sports and entertainment subsidiary, which owns the Philadelphia Flyers and other entertainment and esports concerns. From the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Meade manages relationships with the city, the commonwealth and other stakeholders. Meade, who previously directed government affairs for La Salle University and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, also co-chairs the NHL’s Government Relations Council, championing the league’s efforts to raise awareness of and access to hockey.

Andrew Armagost employs analytics to bolster advocacy for the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials, where he directs appropriations and school finance. His budget reports analyze trends in school district finance and operations, and he recently developed PASBO’s Data Dive website, which provides accessible data about commonwealth school finance and operations. Previously, Armagost worked on education issues at the state Senate. He currently serves as treasurer for the Education Law Association, a national group.

100 TOM DOUGHERTY GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SPECIALIST Pennsylvania State Nurses Association Capital audiences recently saw Tom Dougherty in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” with Theatre Harrisburg – but Dougherty spends most of his time supporting white coats as a government relations specialist for the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association. Dougherty also leads advocacy efforts for the commonwealth’s nursing workforce, overseeing the PSNA PAC and government relations committee and working to reestablish the association’s legislative ambassador program. On behalf of the PSNA, he has championed the Patient Safety Act, which he expects to be passed this year.

50 CityAndStatePA .com

January 16, 2023

CITY & STATE PENNSYLVANIA MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING Publisher Susan Peiffer [email protected] Group Publisher Tom Allon, VP Sales and Events Lissa Blake, VP Audience Development and Strategy Jasmin Freeman, Creative Director Andrew Horton, Editorial Director Jon Lentz, Comptroller David Pirozzi

LOSERS MARK ROZZI The jury is still out on how Mark Rozzi’s tenure as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will play out, but there’s no doubting that he’s one of the most powerful – and intriguing – figures to watch in the state Capitol right now, and that gives him a lot of influence as he seeks to advance his agenda – whatever it may be and whoever he will be partnering with to advance it. THE BEST OF THE REST

CINDY ADAMS DUNN & RUSSELL REDDING Some familiar faces are among Gov.elect Josh Shapiro’s cabinet picks this month. Two in particular are Cindy Adams Dunn and Russell Redding, who will remain in their positions as secretaries of conservation and natural resources, and agriculture, respectively. Dunn and Redding were appointed by the Wolf of State Street, but now, they can recite the “Wolf of Wall Street” quote: “I’m not f**king leaving!” SCOTT PERRY Funny how quickly things can change. U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, one of our 2022 Losers of the Year, flexed by standing against Kevin McCarthy’s efforts to become the chamber’s next speaker. Perry’s vote – and the conservative wing’s demands – were essential to McCarthy’s rise to the rostrum.

OUR PICK

OUR PICK

WINNERS

Keep reading for our newest batch of winners and losers!

THADDEUS KIRKLAND Chester is dealing with a host of crises. Chester receiver Michael Doweary filed for bankruptcy on behalf of the city in November and his office is now battling the city’s elected officials in court to strip them of their administrative powers. Doweary has testified that Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland has threatened him multiple times and Kirkland admitted to using a racial slur against him. THE REST OF THE WORST

RONALD C. GRANVILLE A former Philadelphia prisons sergeant could be headed back to the pen – but this time behind bars. Ronald C. Granville, a former employee at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, pleaded guilty this month to record falsification and civil rights charges. Per the Department of Justice, Granville and other officers physically assaulted a naked detainee. He faces up to 30 years in prison. ANGELO CARRION Angelo Carrion, a former PennDOT employee, was arrested on charges related to a scheme in which people paid him for help with driver’s license tests in the Lancaster area. Lawmakers love naming bridges and highways. In Carrion’s case, we’d go with the “Phony Expressway,” a one-way, dead-end access road to Lancaster County Jail.

CREATIVE Art Director Aaron Aniton Senior Graphic Designers Victoria Lambino, Alex Law Junior Graphic Designer Izairis Santana Photo Researcher Michelle Steinhauser ADVERTISING [email protected] Senior Sales Executive Michael Fleck [email protected] Media Sales Associate Matt Syrvalin [email protected] Sales Executive Maria Aniceti [email protected] Sales Executive James Barton [email protected] Events Coordinator Leah Gonzalez-Greenstein [email protected] DIGITAL Digital Director Michael Filippi [email protected] Marketing & Special Projects Manager Caitlin Dorman [email protected] Digital Marketing Associate Anabel Dayao Social Media Manager Jasmin Sellers ADVISORY BOARD Chair Michael Days Board members Keir Bradford-Grey, Samuel Chen, Joseph Hill, Mary Isenhour, Lindy Li, Teresa Lundy, Sharmain Matlock-Turner, Michael Newmuis, Dennis Owens, Bill Peduto, Dave Reed, Al Schmidt, Matt Smith, Paul Steinke, Al Spivey, Brian Tierney, Lauren Vidas, Ray Zaborney

Vol. 3 Issue 1 Jan. 16, 2023

Josh Shapiro’s next act

Man with a plan

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JANUARY 16, 2023

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PA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS; OFFICE OF GOVERNOR TOM WOLF

Who’s been up – and down – this month Just when we thought Harrisburg had it all figured out, January’s special session came. One week after state legislators were praised for coming together to vote for a bipartisan speaker of the House, they returned to the party infighting resulting in the lack of action we’ve all come to know and loathe. Let’s see how long these lawmakers’ resolutions last this year.

EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jenny DeHuff [email protected] Senior Editor Greg Salisbury [email protected] Senior Reporter Justin Sweitzer [email protected] Staff Reporter Harrison Cann [email protected] Copy Editor Jordan Brignol [email protected]

Have you registered for City and State Pennsylvania’s Pittsburgh Power 100 Event? On January 31st, 2023, we turn our attention to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, to rank the political power brokers in our 2023 edition of the Pittsburgh Power 100, a list of the top political influencers in government, advocacy, media, health, education, business and beyond! Join us to celebrate our list members as we take time to recognize them for all their accomplishments from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Olive or Twist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We look forward to ringing in the new year with our first event of the season. RSVP HERE

Visit cityandstatepa.com/events to get updates on speakers, panelists, and sponsors For more information about City & State Events, please contact [email protected] For more information about advertising and sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected]

February 28th, 2023 10 AM - 3 PM Hilton Harrisburg

City and State Pennsylvania’s 2023 Rebuilding Pennsylvania Summit is back this year in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Three years and counting into the pandemic, our priorities about what needs to be built where and for whom have continued their rapid transformation. Seemingly everything – from urban business hubs to transit, retail spaces to residential real estate – has been affected by the profound shift in how we live our lives now. The Rebuilding PA Summit will explore how these changes have impacted the commonwealth’s tax bases, cities, suburbs and rural areas – and how they are affecting infrastructure plans across the board Each of our live panels will dig into a different aspect of our evolving landscape, from where we work and live now to what kind of short- and long-term changes are in the works. RSVP HERE

Visit cityandstatepa.com/events to get updates on speakers, panelists, and sponsors For more information about City & State Events, please contact [email protected] For more information about advertising and sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected]