1st Annual Legislative Roundtable
Where
Glasbern InnContact
Wendy Manarino, LVBCHwmanarino@lvbch.com
AGENDA
7:30 - 8:00 a.m.
Registration, Breakfast, Networking & Exhibit Hall
8:00 - 8:05 a.m.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
8:05 - 8:55 a.m.
Legislative Roundtable
Panel Discussion
8:55 - 9:10 a.m.
Networking Break & Exhibit Hall
9:10 - 10:00 a.m.
Legislative Roundtable
Panel Discussion
Contined
10:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Thank You, Networking &
Exhibit Hall
Space is limited, you must register to attend.
LEGISLATIVE ROUNDTABLE PANELISTS
Moderated by Doug Furness
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Capital Blue Cross
Doug Furness is the Senior Director of Government Affairs for Capital Blue Cross, a Pennsylvania health insurance plan that serves almost 1 million people in 21 central and Lehigh Valley counties. This position is the primary point of contact with members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and officials of the executive branch under the jurisdiction of the Governor. The main role is to function as the principal advocate for Capital Blue Cross on all legislative and regulatory matters impacting the company. Duties of the position include the development and execution of a lobbying strategy on health insurance issues impacting Capital Blue Cross. This includes regular outreach and interaction with state officials educating them on the impact of legislative initiatives on the insurance industry. The duties also include regular briefings of senior management and the supervision of one full time employee. Previous experience includes Director of Government Affairs for the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania, Deputy Secretary of Legislative Affairs for the Office of Governor Edward G. Rendell, Legislative Director of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Chief of Staff for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He received his Master of Public Administration from Shippensburg University and has his District Justice Certification from the Pennsylvania Minor Judiciary.
Pennsylvania State Senator Pat Browne
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman
16th District
Senator Pat Browne was again elected by his colleagues in the Senate Republican Caucus to serve as Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman for the 2021-22 Legislative Session. The committee, one of the most powerful of the Senate’s standing committees, reviews all legislation for its fiscal impact and plays a crucial role in devel-oping the state budget. Browne has served in this role since 2014. Before being elected Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman, Senator Browne served as Senate Majority Whip from 2011-14. Besides serving as Appropriations Committee Chairman, Senator Browne is also a member of four Senate Committees: Finance (Vice Chair); Aging and Youth; Law & Justice; and Local Government. Senator Browne is Co-Chair of the bi-partisan, bi-cameral Early Childhood Education Caucus and the Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus. He previously Co-Chaired the Basic Education Funding Commission, the Special Education Funding Commission and the PA Public School Building Construction and Reconstruction Advisory Committee (PlanCon). He also serves as a member of the board of the Public-School Employees’ Retirement System, the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Legislative Audit Advisory Committee. Senator Browne was re-elected in November 2018 to his fourth full term as state Senator for the 16th District, representing constituents in parts of Lehigh County. He was first elected to the Senate following a special election in April of 2005 and was re-elected in the fall of 2006, 2010 and 2014. Prior to joining the Senate, Senator Browne represented the 131st District for 10 years as a member of the state House of Representatives. Senator Browne is the author of dozens of initiatives ranging from child protection to job creation to education to reforming state government. He wrote several laws which fundamentally reformed Pennsylvania’s public pension systems and created an inde-pendent fiscal office to monitor state spending and the budget process. He rewrote both the Pennsylvania Basic Education and Special Education funding for-mulas. In addition, Senator Browne is the Founding Chairman of the Early Childhood Education Caucus and the Arts and Culture Caucus. Senator Browne has received national recognition for his Early Childhood advocacy and is widely acknowledged to be Pennsylvania’s key proponent. Senator Browne also authored a law to hire citizens with disabilities. In 2009, Senator Browne crafted the one-of-a-kind, 130-acre Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) to help revitalize and expand the tax base of the then financiallystruggling city of Allentown. There has already been more than $1 billion of newdevelopment investment in Allentown and more than $3 million in annual school propertytax revenues for Allentown School District generated through the zone. The NIZhas already served as a model for economic development in other distressed areas –cities, boroughs and townships – throughout the Commonwealth with the creation ofthe City Revitalization and Improvement Zones (CRIZ) which will afford a similar taxfinancing program to smaller cities in Pennsylvania.Senator Browne has been an ardent supporter of Lehigh County Fire and EMSCompanies. He has secured $2.7 million in state funds for dozens of fire companies,supporting new vehicle purchases, fire house renovations and the acquisition of life savingequipment.After hearing from local advocates, Browne secured $400,000 to fund the Lehigh ValleyHomeless Veteran fund, which is working to end the tragedy of veteran homelessnessin the Lehigh Valley.Senator Browne received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from theUniversity of Notre Dame and a law degree from Temple University. Prior to his legislativeservice, he was employed with the accounting firms of Coopers & Lybrand andPrice Waterhouse as a tax manager and senior tax associate, respectively. In addition tobeing a CPA, he is also a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified PublicAccountants.Born and raised in Allentown, Senator Browne attended Allentown Central CatholicHigh School. He resides in Allentown with his wife, Heather, and son, Alex.
Pennsylvania State Representative Ryan E. Mackenzie
134th District
Ryan E. Mackenzie is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is in his sixth term representing the 134th Legislative District, which covers parts of Berks and Lehigh Counties. For the 2021-2022 session, Ryan serves as a member of four House standing committees: Consumer Affairs, Environmental Resources & Energy, Labor & Industry, and State Government. He also serves as chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, a bipartisan, nine-member committee that investigates matters referred by the speaker, majority leader, or minority leader. In addition, Ryan serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Campaign Finance and Elections under the State Government Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Development under the House Economic Recovery Task Force. Ryan is a strong advocate for what he sees as the most important issues facing Pennsylvania: creating jobs, protecting taxpayers, strengthening education, and reforming government. He has successfully passed legislation in these areas and will continue to fight for these causes. Ryan is a ninth-generation resident of Pennsylvania, where his family has lived since colonial times. He graduated from Parkland High School, received his undergraduate degree in Finance and International Business from New York University, and earned his Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Pennsylvania State Representative Mike Schlossberg
132nd District
State Representative Mike Schlossberg was reelected to a fifth term in November 2020, continuing his commitment to community leadership. For the 2021-2022 session, he was elected Democratic Caucus Administrator. Representative Schlossberg is Democratic co-chair and co-founder of the Mental Health Caucus, allowing him to focus on helping other members of the General Assembly and the citizens of Pennsylvania to understand mental health issues and concerns. In September 2015, Rep. Schlossberg was honored to accept an invitation to become a member of the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency's Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee, providing guidance and structure to ensure statewide coordination and effectiveness of Pennsylvania's criminal justice and mental health systems. In 2020, Representative Schlossberg was named Public Elected Official of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers. Schlossberg was also named Legislator of the Year in 2017 by the National Association of Social Workers-PA and was presented with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's "Allies in Action Award" in 2016. On multiple occasions, he served as Honorary Chair of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's annual "Out of the Darkness" Walk and was also selected as the Honorary Emerging Minds Chair for the non-profit Minding Your Mind. Rep. Schlossberg was the 2015 recipient of the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society's Benjamin Rush Award, presented to a non-psychiatrist who has brought recognition to mental illness/health over the past year. Representative Schlossberg is married to Brenna, a teacher in the Allentown School District. They have a son and daughter who are both in elementary school.
Pennsylvania State Representative Peter Schweyer
22nd District
Representative Peter G. Schweyer is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives serving the people of the 22nd Legislative District in Lehigh County. He was first elected to this office in 2014 after being twice elected to City Council in his hometown. Born and raised in Allentown, Schweyer is a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School and the Pennsylvania State University, State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Schreyer’s Honors College. He went on to study elementary education at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia at the post-graduate level. Prior to his election, Schweyer worked as director of community and government affairs for Sacred Heart Hospital in Center City Allentown, directing the hospital's community health and community development initiatives. Immediately prior to his service with Sacred Heart Hospital, he served as chief of staff to former state Rep. Jennifer L. Mann for eight years. He had also served as legislative assistant for two other members of the PA General Assembly and had been a schoolteacher in the Philadelphia School District as a cohort member of the Teach Philadelphia program. Schweyer’s legislative priorities include protecting and expanding access to health insurance, appropriately funding PA’s public schools and supporting policies to spur the creation of more family-sustaining jobs in the Lehigh Valley. He supports increasing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, continued criminal justice reform, investment in sustainable, alternative energy and initiatives to better serve our veterans. As State Representative, Schweyer serves as a deputy whip in the House Democratic Caucus and is a member of the House Appropriations, Committee on Committees, Consumer Affairs, Ethics and Professional Licensure Committees. He is also Vice-Chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee and also serves as the Minority Chair for the House Consumer Affairs Subcommittee on Utilities. He also serves on several community organizations that strive to improve the quality of life in Allentown and surrounding communities. Most notably, Schweyer is a past board member and past chairperson of the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA). He and his wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents of Sarah and Erin, who both attend Allentown public schools. They are homeowners in South Allentown. In his spare time, Schweyer enjoys baseball games and cheering for the Penn State Nittany Lions, as well as reading, poorly playing his guitar, boating and watching far too much Netflix and HBO.
THANK YOU SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS
