HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward Rendell said he is honored to re-nominate members of his Cabinet to serve during his second term. He also named current Secretary of Revenue Gregory C. Fajt as senior advisor to the Governor and Don Morabito as director of the Governor’s Office of Public Liaison.
All other members of the Governor’s senior staff will continue in their current positions. The Governor nominated Tom Wolf as Secretary of Revenue, replacing Fajt. Wolf will go through the confirmation process with current Cabinet officials.
“This team of talented, tough and smart individuals has worked tirelessly to promote and implement my agenda with great success,” said Rendell. “It is my pleasure to re-nominate each of them, and I’m tremendously proud that each has accepted. I am particularly proud that the significant majority of my Cabinet — over 90 percent — has been with me since 2003; a testament to their collective commitment to serve the citizens of this great commonwealth.
“The accomplishments of this team over the past four years are nothing short of groundbreaking. They each think outside the box, finding new and more efficient ways to run their departments, save millions of taxpayer dollars and help better the lives of all Pennsylvanians. I urge the Senate to swiftly confirm each of them, with pride.”
The Governor’s Cabinet comprises the directors of various state agencies. These directors, usually called Secretaries, are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Each Secretary is responsible for the oversight of his or her agency. An equally important responsibility of all Cabinet members is to advise the Governor on subjects related to their respective agencies.
The Governor nominated the following people to his Cabinet:
* Jeffrey A. Beard, who has served as Secretary of Corrections since 2001;
* Allen D. Biehler, who has served as Secretary of Transportation since 2003;
* James P. Creedon, who has served as Secretary of General Services since 2005;
* Michael DiBerardinis, who has served as Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources since 2003;
* Nora Dowd Eisenhower, who has served as Secretary of Aging since 2003;
* Tom Wolf as Secretary of Revenue;
* Calvin Johnson, who has served as Secretary of Health since 2003;
* M. Diane Koken, who has served as Insurance Commissioner since 1997;
* Kathleen A. McGinty, who has served as Secretary of Environmental Protection since 2003;
* Colonel Jeffrey B. Miller, who has served as Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner since 2003;
* Estelle B. Richman, who has served as the Secretary of Public Welfare since 2003;
* Stephen M. Schmerin, who has served as Secretary of Labor & Industry since 2003;
* Dennis C. Wolff, who has served as Secretary of Agriculture since 2003;
* General Jessica L. Wright, who has served as Adjutant General of Military and Veterans Affairs since 2004; and
* Dennis Yablonsky, who has served as Secretary of Community and Economic Development since 2003.
Under the law, Secretary of Education Gerald L. Zahorchak and Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortes are not subject to renomination and confirmation. They will continue to serve in their current positions.
Fajt will begin serving as senior advisor to the Governor on Feb. 15.
Wolf, 58, a York businessman who earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, currently serves as chairman of the board for The Wolf Organization Inc., a distributor of building materials through 30 branches located along the eastern seaboard. Wolf also sits on many boards, including the Business Roundtable and the Pennsylvania State Chamber of Commerce. He is a past chairman of the United Way of York County.
“Attracting high-quality individuals like Tom Wolf to state government, who has had such a successful career and a lifelong commitment to community, is a major victory for the people of Pennsylvania,” said Rendell. “Tom is energetic and smart, and I am pleased that he has agreed to serve in this important position in my administration.”
The Governor also announced that other senior members of his Cabinet who are not subject to Senate confirmation will continue to serve in their current capacities. These Cabinet members are Barbara Adams, who has served as general counsel since 2005; Donna Cooper, who has served as Secretary of Planning & Policy since 2004 and has been a member of the administration since 2003; Steven M. Crawford, who has served as Secretary of Legislative Affairs since 2003; Rosemarie B. Greco, who has served as director of the Office of Health Care Reform since 2003; James R. Joseph, who has served as director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency since 2004; Joseph S. Martz, who has served as Secretary of Administration since 2005; Michael J. Masch, who has served as Secretary of the Budget since 2003; and Donald L. Patterson who has served as Inspector General since 2003.
Fajt, who has served as Revenue Secretary since the Governor’s 2003 inauguration, will remain a member of the Cabinet in a new role as senior advisor to the Governor, a position formerly held by Joseph McLaughlin. The Governor said Fajt’s unique experience and abilities will help augment his team’s ongoing efforts to implement important first-term initiatives and to enact his second-term agenda. Among other major agenda items that the Governor will outline in his Feb. 6 budget address, Fajt will focus on transportation funding, the Governor’s reform agenda and the Prescription for Pennsylvania health care reform plan. Fajt will also
participate in the budget negotiation process.
“Greg will play a vital role in my second term; one that only he could fill,” said Rendell. “I trust his counsel and his instincts and with such an aggressive second-term agenda we will need all the help we can get to keep our success on track. He did such a terrific job at Revenue that I know he will be a great asset to my senior staff.”
The Governor also appointed Don Morabito, Ph.D., as director of the Office of Public Liaison, a position held by Michael Marsico in an acting capacity since 2005. Morabito, 64, who has been executive director of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party since 2003, will oversee a team that manages the Governor’s appointments to boards and commissions and that serves as the principal public advocates for the Governor’s office.
Morabito earned his doctorate in conflict management from Penn State. Immediately prior to serving as executive director of the Democratic State Committee, he served as director of political affairs for the National Education Association. Before that, he was assistant executive director at the Pennsylvania State Education Association. He was also a teacher in the Newcastle High School in Lawrence County.
“Don knows the people of Pennsylvania and their needs, and has wonderful relationships with government and community officials across the state,” said Rendell. “As director of the Office of Public Liaison he will be a terrific conduit to citizens, and he will also find the right people to serve on our boards and commissions.”
The office oversees the executive nomination and appointment process and helps keep the public informed about governance issues throughout the commonwealth.