Our Team

Roy Wells

Roy Wells

Mike Acker

Mike Acker

Todd Brysiak

Todd Brysiak

Savannah Beeler

Savannah Beeler

Megan Dapp

Megan Dapp

Olivia Edwards Rindfuss

Olivia Edwards Rindfuss

Brandi Hunter-Davenport

Brandi Hunter-Davenport

Noah Logan

Noah Logan

Michael Manzo

Michael Manzo

Charles Oberdick

Charles Oberdick

Yvonne F. Roberts

Yvonne Roberts

Jennifer Riley

Jennifer Riley

Doug Rohanna

Doug Rohanna

Brendan Schubert

Brendan Schubert

Sarah Spotts

Sarah Spotts

Andrea Updegrove

Andrea Updegrove

Jan Webb

Jan Webb

Consultants

David Dumeyer

David Dumeyer

Rick Kelly

Rick Kelly

Jeanette Krebs

Jeanette Krebs

Jeffery Hunsicker

Jeffrey Hunsicker

Jennifer Mann

Jennifer Mann

George Wolff

George Wolff

  • Roy Wells, President and Managing Partner

    Roy Wells is the public face of Triad Strategies, who took an idea and shaped it into one of Pennsylvania’s most successful public affairs firms. He saw an industry that was stale and stagnant and turned it upside down by creating a full-service firm where clients had access not only to top-notch governmental relations, but also true communications, grassroots and business development professionals.

    Before entering the private sector, Roy spent seven years working in the General Assembly and the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. As deputy state treasurer, he directed the preparation, introduction, and passage of key legislation and served as liaison between the Treasury Department and House and Senate leadership and other members of the General Assembly.

    Before that, he was a budget analyst for the House Appropriations Committee, working with the departments of Commerce, Corrections, Probation and Parole, Attorney General and Auditor General. He also had oversight responsibility for the Commonwealth’s economic development programs and was the rural policy coordinator for the House majority caucus. He served as senior staff to both House and Senate.

    rwells@triadstrategies.com

     

  • Mike Acker – Partner and Senior VP

    Mike joined Triad after serving former Gov. Tom Ridge as executive deputy secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, functioning as chief operating officer for the Commonwealth’s fourth-largest state agency, with more than 6,000 employees and an operating budget of nearly $1 billion.  He also served former Governors Dick Thornburgh and Mark Schweiker, and before that was an aide to U.S. Sen. John Heinz.

    Mike is the driving force behind the Triad lobbying team and maintains an extensive network of relationships with some of the most prominent elected officials in the state, Republican and Democrat alike.  In 2010, Gov. Tom Corbett tapped Mike to head his transition team on labor and workforce issues. He served on the transition advisory team of President George W. Bush in 2000 and was tapped by the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign to serve as a Pennsylvania Coalition leader.

    macker@triadstrategies.com

  • Todd Brysiak, VP of Government Affairs

    Prior to joining Triad in January 2018, Todd was a fixture in the Pennsylvania General Assembly for 13 years and earned a reputation as a key player in a world of complex issues.  He served as chief of staff to the House majority leader, where he was front-and-center for every major public policy debate.

    With significant experience in both the policy development and public outreach arenas, Todd honed his skills while serving as executive director of the Republican Policy Committee and director of communications for the House Republican Appropriations Committee.  He also served as communications director for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry, the state’s largest broad-based business association.

    Todd’s resume of success includes leading negotiations on the state’s nationally recognized pension reform law of 2017, business tax reforms, securing funding for high-tech start-up companies and orchestrating the deal on the state’s unemployment compensation law relating to seasonal workers.

    tbrysiak@triadstrategies.com

     

  • Savannah Beeler, Associate

    Savannah has spent the last 8 years in grassroots politics and campaigning, working on several campaigns and for a political fundraising and consulting firm in Harrisburg. She started her career with the PA GOP during the 2014 Gubernatorial cycle.

    Prior to her time at Triad, Savannah worked for the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors and was responsible for executing the association’s regulatory activities and working with the association’s lobbyists to advocate for PAR’s positions before key legislative committee and designated agencies. She also oversaw the association’s independent expenditure activities and served as the team leader for planning the department’s annual regional training sessions. Savannah has also served as the government affairs director at the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors®, the executive director of the Dauphin County Republican Committee, and had many roles in various campaigns from the local level up to statewide races.

  • Megan Dapp – VP, External Affairs

    Megan brings more than 15 years of public affairs experience in several industry sectors including healthcare, energy and education.

    She previously spent 11 years working at a Harrisburg-based public affairs firm where she successfully developed and executed multi-faceted advocacy campaigns on behalf of a variety of clients. Megan has managed public affairs campaigns at the local, state and federal levels.

    Prior to that, she served as the State Advocacy Director for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, where she represented the organization to the state legislature.

    Megan is a native of central Pennsylvania and is a graduate from Dickinson College.

  • Olivia Edwards Rindfuss – Senior Associate

    Olivia joined the Triad team after working on both Capitol Hills in Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg. She worked first as a Congressional intern specializing in trade and commerce, then as a research and policy writer assigned to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. She then worked for nearly two years as PA House staff member before coming to Triad.

    Olivia has worked on issues that cross state, federal and international markets. As a Government Affairs Associate, she monitors legislation, counsels clients and develops strategies for direct lobbying campaigns.

    Olivia also provides PAC and foundation management, event coordination and correspondence. Olivia serves on leadership teams for several non-profit and local organizations, including The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Harrisburg Young Professionals and Lebanon Valley College.

    She is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College with a B.A. political science and a minor in law & society.

    oedwards@triadstrategies.com
    Twitter: @Olivia_Rindfuss

  • With nearly 20 years of experience in sectors ranging from higher education to state government to the nonprofit realm, Brandi Hunter-Davenport brings her talents to Triad Strategies. The Harrisburg native has extensive experience in partnership building and recruitment, grassroots development, legislative outreach, event planning, media relations, writing, training and facilitation, campaign outreach and marketing, public speaking and association/volunteer management.

    She was most recently the PA Forward Project Manager with the Pennsylvania Library Association. In this capacity, she was managed the association’s statewide outreach platform, providing training, development, public relations and education resources to the state’s libraries. Working in tandem with leadership, Brandi used her skills and expertise to help libraries narrate their stories, helping them signify their relevance and need in communities throughout the state.

    Prior to joining the PA Library Association, she was the director of communications for the state Department of Agriculture, working on communication platforms which focused on areas such as the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, the potential of the High Path Avian Influenza Virus and racing reform in the commonwealth. She has also served as the director of public affairs and education with the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and handled press, marketing and communications with the state Departments of Environmental Protection and Health and served as a member of Governor Rendell’s press and communications team.

    Brandi is an adjunct professor in the Communications Department at Messiah College. She has previously served as the Vice-Chair of the American Lung Association’s Southcentral Region Leadership Board, is a current member of the Pa Public Relations Society and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Brandi has an undergraduate degree in Mass Communications and a Master of Science in Journalism from two historically black colleges and universities – Bennett College and Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, respectively.

    bdavenport@triadstrategies.com

  • Noah Logan, Government Relations Associate

    Noah joined the Triad team after serving as the Government Relations Specialist for the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During his tenure, Noah helped get the Nurse Licensure Compact (Act 68 of 2021) signed into law, and tirelessly advocated for issues like safe nurse staffing and full practice authority for nurse practitioners.

    Noah was born in Philadelphia, but was raised in Cumberland County. He attended Lebanon Valley College and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2020 with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in History and Law & Society.

  • Michael Manzo – Senior VP of Government Affairs

    Michael came to Triad after serving as chief of staff to the House majority leader in Pennsylvania, as well as stints as president of two successful consulting firms.  While in government, Mike held positions across the spectrum, from his start as a staff writer for the House Conservation Committee, executive director of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and press secretary and spokesman for the House Democrats.  Running the floor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Mike established long-lasting relationships with scores of legislators and senior staff members from both sides of the aisle, and both legislative chambers.

    Mike’s policy background includes having a hand in multiple state budgets, Gov. Ed Rendell’s economic development initiatives, transportation funding, environmental issues, alternative energy standards, overtime policy for nurses, minimum wage and the slots gaming law.

    mmanzo@triadstrategies.com
    Twitter: @michaelmanzo90

  • Charles Oberdick, Research Associate

    Charles joined the Triad team full time at the conclusion of a summer internship during which he focused on policy research and analysis while helping to prepare many documents and reports for the firm.

    Charles previously held an internship with the House Democratic Education Committee under former Representative Roebuck’s leadership as part of the Bipartisan Management Committee’s fellowship program. There he worked on higher education issues, including research on post-secondary funding options and possible higher education grant programs for the state. He also worked on research related to charter schools and regulations related to school safety.

    Charles was born and raised in York County, Pennsylvania. He attended Temple University in Philadelphia where he received a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in History. While at Temple University, he also worked as a tutor for the local George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science as part of a work study.

  • Yvonne F. Roberts, Director, Philadelphia Office

    Few cities in America have a municipal government that can be as tough, byzantine and fiery as Philadelphia.  But it is within the walls of Philadelphia City Hall that you will find Yvonne Roberts, navigating the tough waters, meeting with top decision makers, and generally making it look like the easiest job in the world.  Smooth, tough and unflappable, Yvonne is the director, and the heart and soul, of Triad’s Philadelphia office.

    Her contacts constitute the definitive list of Philadelphia’s leaders, from the business community, to legislators and city council members, from Mayor Jim Kenney, to council members; from freshmen state Representatives to powerful Senate Appropriations Chairman Vince Hughes and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Jr.

    A seasoned lobbyist, negotiator and community relations specialist, her clients represent corporate, public and nonprofit sectors on the local, regional and national levels. Her multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, a product of more than 30 years of working in public relations, politics and business, sets her apart as a practitioner and gives Triad’s clients a critical edge when dealing with the city, Congress, or the U.S. Senate.

    Yvonne’s relationships with a diverse array of Philadelphia special interest groups and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus have enabled her to assist with numerous community outreach initiatives, and she has unparalleled skill in resolving conflicts and finding the common ground, something not always in abundance in the rough-and-tumble world of Philly politics.

    After establishing a full-service consulting agency in 1982, her career path eventually brought her to Triad in 2001. Along the way, her clients have included Rite Aid, Proctor & Gamble, R.J. Reynolds, Conrail, Comcast, the Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Co., the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the African American Historical and Cultural Museum of Philadelphia, and Sony Music Entertainment.

    More recently, she has worked with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Mercy Hospital, Delaware Valley Community Health, Moore College of Art, the Inglis Foundation, LogistiCare, Lutheran Settlement and Baseball at 30th Street.

    yroberts@triadstrategies.com

  • Jennifer Riley – VP, Advocacy & Communications

    Longtime campaign strategist and advocacy professional, Jennifer Riley, serves as a senior associate in Triad Strategies’ growing public affairs and communications practice. 

    Jennifer brings two decades of high-intensity public policy campaign experience, as well as additional reach into the Philadelphia market.

    Coupled with deep political competency, her expertise spans advocacy campaigns, grasstops/grassroots organizing, media relations, crisis communications and event management for a variety of industry sectors.

    Prior to joining the team at Triad, Jennifer spent nearly twenty years at a Pennsylvania-based public relations firm, where she led the public affairs practice and served as the managing director of their Philadelphia-area office.

    Jennifer also serves as the State Director for Marsy’s Law for Pennsylvania, a position that she has held for nearly two years. Marsy’s Law seeks to amend the Pennsylvania constitution to include rights for victims of crime. Under her leadership, Marsy’s Law passed nearly unanimously in two consecutive legislative sessions and garnered overwhelming voter support during the 2019 general election.

    Additionally, Jennifer served as a statewide events director for the 2004 presidential campaign in Pennsylvania.

    Jennifer is a cum laude graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

    jriley@triadstrategies.com

  • Doug Rohanna – SVP Advocacy & Communications

    With more than 20 years of public policy experience serving in a wide variety of roles in the legislative and executive branches of government, as well as the private sector, Doug has earned the respect of leaders from both political parties. He has served as director of communications for Gov. Ed Rendell, as deputy state treasurer, as chief of staff to the Pennsylvania House minority leader, and as vice president of government relations for a Harrisburg public affairs firm.

    He has successfully managed public affairs campaigns and advocated for clients at the local, state and federal levels.  He has demonstrated an ability to build expertise in new areas, develop and maintain relationships with individuals and groups, and build consensus among those with diverse interests.

    drohanna@triadstrategies.com

  • Brendan Schubert – VP, Economic Development

    Brendan has managed the Triad Strategies Pittsburgh office for the last several years. He is part of the government affairs group, however as a government affairs team member at Triad, has both a strong background in government affairs and communications.

    Prior to joining Triad, Brendan was on the executive team for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority managing external affairs and communications. During his tenure, the Authority realized the first access to public dollars for capital investment back into the system.

    Brendan has extensive knowledge and understanding of the Pennsylvania Legislature. He worked as a district liaison for a senior member and committee chairman. Brendan is a lifelong resident of southwestern Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree from the John H. Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Brendan has a unique perspective of understanding the policy and hot button issues from the state capitol in Harrisburg to City Hall in Pittsburgh.

    bschubert@triadstrategies.com

     

  • Sarah Spotts, Associate

    Sarah comes to Triad after a distinguished career in state government. During her tenure with the Wolf Administration, Sarah served as the Legislative Liaison for the Department of General Services (DGS). In that role, she advised the Secretary on legislative activities and served as the department’s legislative point of contact with the Governor’s Office and the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

    At DGS, Sarah worked on issues pertaining to Commonwealth Procurement Policy, Land Acquisition and Disposition, and Public Works. Prior to her appointment to DGS, Sarah served as the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for the Department of State. In that role, Sarah helped usher in expansive Election Code and Professional Licensure reforms.

    Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Political Affairs with a minor in Spanish from Millersville University in Lancaster, PA.

  • Andrea Updegrove, Business Manager

    It isn’t always easy to find Andrea Updegrove, shielded as she is by stacks of spreadsheets, folders, invoices, contracts and all other manner of crucial documents, but trust us, she is there, making sure the trains run on time.

    As business manager, Andrea makes sure that the bulldog stays fed. She manages accounts receivable and accounts payable, generating invoices, producing checks, preparing monthly account analyses and coordinating payroll.

    Andrea joined Triad after working her way up through the accounting department at Keystone Peer Review Organization, Inc. Before that, she held accounting jobs with Cleveland Brothers Equipment, the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg and Pennsylvania Blue Shield.

    She holds an associate’s degree in business administration from Harrisburg Area Community College, and she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

    aupdegrove@triadstrategies.com

     

     

  • Jan Webb, Administrative Assistant

    Jan brings extensive experience and a distinct skill set to Triad from supporting executives and departments at various companies. Her unique perspective is a tremendous asset for our growing public affairs firm.

    Most recently, Jan served as a government relations research analyst for a statewide professional membership association where she researched legislation, drafted bill analyses, composed letters to legislators and compiled grant applications. Prior to this role, she was a member service
    specialist where her duties consisted of membership engagement, project management and operations.

    Additionally, Jan held an HR position for a Harrisburg-based advertising agency for six years where she was responsible for employee recruitment, onboarding and training. She transitioned to HR after serving as the agency’s executive assistant.

    Jan lives in Middletown, PA with her husband and two children and she serves as Board President of Middletown Swim Club. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Mass Communications from Elizabethtown College.

    jwebb@triadstrategies.com

  • David Dumeyer, Senior Consultant

    One of Triad’s senior consultants is Dave Dumeyer, is also owner of Dave Dumeyer Consulting, LLC.  The firm specializes in educational policy and political organizations, a mix he learned through a change in careers. Dave toiled sixteen years in the vineyards of public education, teaching foreign languages and social studies. He later worked in the state legislature, where he dealt extensively with agricultural and educational policy.

    His government experience encompasses 21 years as a House of Representatives staff member and, ultimately, as Executive Director of the House Education Committee. During his tenure, he helped to draft a number of key pieces of legislation.  One of the most prominent was Act 48, which mandates the continuing education of Commonwealth-certified teachers.

    Dave also brings local government experience to the table, having served as an elected township supervisor in West Hempfield Township for over two decades, the last seven of those as chairman of the board.  In addition to serving the township residents, Dave sits as a regional representative to the Lancaster County Tax Collection Bureau, one of Pennsylvania’s premier tax commissions.

    Dave brings multiple levels of value to Triad Strategies: his numerous contacts in state and local government and politics; his aptitude for researching  and analyzing complex policy problems; his ability to find solutions to difficult questions; and his knack for brokering successful deals.  The latter skill was honed through his local political activities in Pennsylvania’s most Republican county, Lancaster, where he served over six years as the county chairman.  Throughout his chairmanship, he had an unblemished record of leading the Lancaster County GOP to victorious campaigns for county, state and federal offices.

    Dave also is treasured asset to some of Triad’s non-profit clients but his service doesn’t stop at the office door.  He has been personally involved in Rotary, 4-H, Scouting, his congregation, and the Lancaster County educational community.  He currently teaches U.S. History and the History of Western Civilization on an adjunct basis at the Lancaster campus of Harrisburg Area Community College.

    Dave received his BA in German (education) from Susquehanna University and his MA in American history from Millersville University.  He lives with Donna, his wife of 42 years, in Landisville, PA. They are the parents of two married daughters and six grandkids. His roots, however, are in western Pennsylvania, as evidenced by his true passion: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    ddumeyer@triadstrategies.com

  • Rick Kelly, Senior Consultant

    Rick has parlayed his experience in the news media and as a corporate communications manager into a successful strategic communications consultancy, which includes national and international clients as well as those closer to home.

    He has managed communications for merger and acquisition clients, directed successful community outreach efforts and undertaken numerous issue management and crisis communication assignments for a variety of organizations.  He was the de facto communications director for Associated Pennsylvania Constructors during its successful multi-year effort to advance a transportation funding measure.  Known as Act 89 of 2013, the measure increased Pennsylvania’s transportation funding by $2.3 billion per year.

    In addition to project work, Rick is in demand as a media coach and message trainer.  His clients have appeared on 60 Minutes, 20/20 and in a variety of other high-profile, high-pressure broadcast and print media venues.  He has received various journalism and professional communicators’ awards and holds a B.A. in journalism and an MBA.

    rkelly@triadstrategies.com

     

  • Jeanette Krebs

    For more than a decade Jeanette has lead communications efforts and directed statewide and national public relations campaigns for clients including leading companies, foundations, government entities and nonprofits.

    In that role, Jeanette has created campaigns that drive the narrative and position clients for success. Most recently she directed the media relations practice for the largest public relations firm by revenue in Pennsylvania – and the 30th largest firm in the nation. She has pitched media on a state and national level.

    She also helped create and run a “newsroom” for the firm made up of writers, editors, graphic designers and videographers. Jeanette has had an award-winning career in journalism. As the editorial page editor for the Pulitzer-prize-winning Patriot-News/Pennlive, she was responsible for all opinion content. During her tenure in that position, the newspaper’s editorial pages were named the best in the state. She also previously was the statehouse bureau chief for The Patriot-News/Pennlive and later a correspondent for capitolwire.com, covering government and politics.

    During that time, she became the first woman elected president of the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association. Jeanette also holds a certification in group facilitation. She is a graduate of Penn State University.

  • Jeffery Hunsicker, Senior Consultant

    After working in various positions with the Service Employees International Union for nearly thirty years,  Jeffery Hunsicker left the organization and founded Hunsicker Strategies,  a firm focused on government relations,  strategic campaigns and political analysis.  Since its founding in September of 2014, Hunsicker Strategies has provided services to a wide range of clients, including: the Blue Green Alliance,  The Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees, Triad Strategies, the Pennsylvania Budget & Policy Center, Good Jobs PA PAC,  Service Employees International Union, and Morgan Plant and Associates.

    With SEIU, Jeff worked extensively on issues impacting working families, human services and social sevices workers, as well as registered nurses and other health care workers.  He also gained extensive experience on election campaigns at the state and federal levels.

    Prior to joining SEIU Jeff worked for various organizations in the areas of community organizing and issue advocacy.   He is a graduate of Bloomsburg University (then Bloomsburg State College).

  • Jennifer L. Mann, Senior Consultant

    Jennifer L. Mann is the founder and president of JL Mann Consulting, LLC, a firm that provides customized business solutions to a wide array of companies. A former longtime member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and small-business owner, Jennifer is relied on for her effective cost-cutting strategies and her dedication to helping companies grow.

    Elected to serve her hometown of Allentown in her 20s, Jennifer was a state representative from 1998 to 2012, quickly earning a reputation as a skilled facilitator, consensus-builder and mentor. In 2008, her colleagues elected her to the post of Caucus Secretary, making her only the third woman to serve in a House Democratic leadership position since the Pennsylvania legislature was formed in 1682. As a member of the national Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) Leadership Team, Jennifer served as chairwoman of the DLC’s State Legislative Advisory Board and was named to the DLC’s “100 to Watch” list in 2000.

    Prior to serving in the House, Jennifer launched and managed a successful wireless telecommunications business in Allentown. That experience, combined with her legislative focus on business-friendly economic policies, gives Jennifer a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with entrepreneurship and business leadership.

     

    Today, Jennifer uses her vast national network to serve her clients as well as her community. She is currently on the board of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation of the Lehigh Valley, the executive board of the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the board of associates for the Allentown Art Museum, Muhlenberg College and Cedar Crest College. She is a member of the Honorary Board for the YWCA of Bethlehem and holds an elected position on the St. Luke’s Hospital – Allentown Campus Board of Governors, and a Director of QNB Bank.

    Previously, Jennifer served on the board for the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency and as chairwoman of the Finance Committee for the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, an organization that helps bridge the gap between the private sector and government to help businesses expand and create jobs. She also acted as a government liaison for the Program for Women and Families, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence.

    A lifelong resident of Allentown, Jennifer earned degrees in government and economics from Lehigh University.

    Jennifer Mann
    Senior Consultant
    jlm@jlmannconsulting.com
    610-820-6266

  • George Wolff, Senior Consultant

    It is difficult to describe how much of a legend George Wolff is in the Pennsylvania public affairs world and, frankly, he will be the last person to ever admit it.  Suffice to say that if it is happening in the world of agriculture, transportation or conservation and George doesn’t know it, it is probably not worth knowing.

    George is a true public affairs professional, toiling in the fields of agriculture and conservation since 1953. Over the years, he has also had a hand in workers compensation reform, business tax reductions, the statewide nutrient reduction program and water resources legislation.  Presently, he is leading the fight for funding for the road and bridge construction industry, while still keeping a close eye on food and product safety protection issues, as well as product liability reform.

    First appointed when Pennsylvania joined the Chesapeake Bay Commission in the 1980 and reappointed since by the President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate, George is the public member on the commission.  He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and a legislative committee member of the Pennsylvania State Grange. He is a former a member of the Board of Directors for Millers Mutual Insurance Company and as a past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts.  He was instrumental in coordinating a group which proposed recommendations for the management of the state’s water resources through regional and statewide management committees working in cooperation with the river basin commissions.

    George has also been active with organizations which promote the responsible stewardship of Pennsylvania’s water resources. In December 2003, he was appointed by Governor Rendell to the Statewide Water Resources Committee and in 2005 to the Pennsylvania Energy Advisory Board.

    Not content to work solely in public affairs, George has owned and operated farms in Lebanon County for over forty years, where he practiced an intensive grain rotation program. He attended Purdue University, majoring in animal husbandry. From 1954 to 1960, George served as the Director of Agricultural Relations for the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association.

    In February 2002, Governor Mark Schweiker appointed George to the Agricultural By-Product Management Technology Board. At the behest of Governor Dick Thornburgh in the early years of his administration, George served as co-chairman of the “Vote Yes for Water” Committee, a public relations effort aimed at passage of a state water referendum funding issue to establish PennVest. He served at Governor Robert Casey’s request as a member of a select committee to develop regulations for a nutrient management program which resulted in Act 6 of 1993. Additionally, at Governor Casey’s request, George served as treasurer for a statewide water initiative. Under former Environmental Protection Agency Secretary William Ruckelshaus, George served on a national non-point source committee to design programs for the joint involvement of the EPA and the USDA. George also served on the National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board to develop recommendations on budget and program priorities for research, higher education and extension in the food and agricultural sciences.

    George has also served as a member of the National Agricultural Advisory Board, a past President of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation District Directors, a member of the State Conservation Commission, a member of the Lebanon County Conservation District, a member of the Board of Directors for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and Chairman of the Jackson Township Zoning Hearing Board.

    In July of 2005 George received the Distinguished Service Award from the State Conservation Commission and in September 2005 received the Fran Flanigan award from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. He has received numerous other awards including the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting Local Communities, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s Centennial Award of Merit for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Veterinary Medicine, the Izaak Walton League of America Chesapeake Bay Conservation Award, and several other conservation service awards.

    gwolff@triadstrategies.com