Judy Schwank
Judy Schwank | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 11th district | |
| Assumed office April 5, 2011[1] | |
| Preceded by | Michael O'Pake |
| Member of the Berks County Board of Commissioners | |
| In office January 3, 2000 – January 7, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Anthony Carabello[2] |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Barnhardt |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jim |
| Children | Three |
| Residence | Fleetwood |
| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University Harvard University |
Judith Schwank (born 1951) is an American politician. A Democrat, she was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate from the 11th district in a special election on March 15, 2011 to succeed the late Michael O'Pake.[3] The district includes the city of Reading and most of eastern Berks County.
Education
Schwank attended the Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a B.S. and M.Ed. in agricultural education.[4] She continued her studies at Harvard University, where she completed the Executive Leadership Program through the Institute for Conservation Leadership and the Institute for the Management of Life-Long Education.[5]
Career
Schwank then worked as a Berks County horticultural agent with the Penn State Cooperative Extension for 19 years, during which time she established the Master Gardener Program.[5] In 1991, she became the first female director of the Berks County Cooperative Extension Program, a position she held until 1999.[6]
From 2000 to 2007, Schwank served two terms as an elected Berks County Commissioner.[4] She also served as the Commission chair from 2004 to 2007.[7] ""I always thought Berks County was property-tax central," said state Sen. Judy Schwank, a Democrat whose district is in Berks County." [8] In 2004, she was appointed by Governor Ed Rendell as chair of the Pennsylvania State Planning Board.[7] She later served as President and CEO of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, a statewide non-profit organization that promotes responsible land use and development.[5] In January 2010, she was appointed Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Delaware Valley College.[7]
Pennsylvania Senate
2011 special election
On December 27, 2010, longtime Democratic State Senator Michael O'Pake died from complications following heart surgery.[6] A special election was announced to fill the remaining two years in O'Pake's four-year term. On January 22, 2011, Schwank was nominated by the Berks County Democratic Committee and subsequently approved by the state committee.[9]
Her Republican opponent was Larry Medaglia, the Berks County register of wills. On March 15, Schwank soundly defeated Medaglia by a margin of 58%-42%.[10] She received 20,124 votes to Medaglia's 14,794.[10]
References
- ^ "Schwank Sworn in to State Senate". The Reading Eagle. 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
- ^ Young, Mary E. (November 3, 1999). "Carabello loses out by 276 votes". The Reading Eagle. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
- ^ Young, Mary E. (2011-03-15). "Schwank wins 11th District state Senate seat". Reading Eagle.
- ^ a b "Ag Ed Alumna Takes Delaware Valley Post". Penn State Ag Science Magazine.
- ^ a b c "About Judy Schwank". Judy Schwank for State Senate. Archived from the original on 2011-02-28.
- ^ a b Phyrillas, Tony (2011-03-15). "Schwank captures O'Pake's Senate seat". The Mercury. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30.
- ^ a b c "DelVal appoints new dean for agriculture". Delaware Valley College. 2010-01-28.
- ^ Reinbrecht, Steve. "Why don't law makers fix property taxes?". bctv.org. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ^ Young, Mary E. (2011-01-23). "It's Schwank vs. Medaglia for state Senate seat". Reading Eagle.
- ^ a b "2011 Special Election for the 11th Senatorial District". Pennsylvania Department of State.
External links
- State Senator Judy Schwank official caucus website
- Judy Schwank (D) official PA Senate website
- Judy Schwank for State Senate official campaign website
