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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.
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.
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.
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.