Candidate for
Judge; Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court; Republican Party

"My wife, Jan, my son, Al, and my daughter, Abby, and I very happily make our home in Allegheny County (Mount Lebanon), but I was born and raised and graduated High School in Scranton where my parents still live and where you will find me quite often.

Unlike the Saturday Night Live parody that was uncomplimentary of my hometown, I am most proud of my Scranton roots and the traditional values taught to me and my younger brother and two sisters of hard work, help others and respect your neighbor.

I also learned quickly that "money does not grow on trees" and there was hardly a dollar to waste, so I did work hard umpiring little league games for $7.00/game and getting my first real job at the local Big Boy Restaurant at age 16 as a bus boy.

In high school, I earned the rank of Eagle Scout, was selected to participate in Rotary Leaders' Camp where I won the career essay contest on "Why I wish to be a Lawyer", and I lettered in varsity baseball at Dunmore High School where I graduated in 1981. I earned an academic scholarship from the John C. Emery Foundation to the University of Pittsburgh which took me to western Pennsylvania, and I graduated from Pitt with Honors in 1985.

I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1988 where I participated in The National Administrative Law Moot Court Competition at the Dayton Law School. Thus, administrative law, which in large part is the practice before the Commonwealth Court of Pa., has been part of my educational focus from the beginning.

Upon graduating from Pitt Law School in 1988, I worked for the late U.S. Senator John Heinz as his Asst. Western PA Field Coordinator. I would travel with the Senator, picking him up in Fox Chapel at 7:00 a.m. and returning at midnight. Senator Heinz worked hard and taught me the meaning of dedication and public service. He was a true role model to me.

After my work with Senator Heinz, I clerked for the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges; worked as an associate attorney with Tillman & Thompson, and then served as in-house counsel with the Travelers Insurance Company before being appointed by Governor Tom Ridge and confirmed by the Senate of Pennsylvania to the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board in 1996 where I served as a Commissioner/ Administrative Appeals Judge for 12 ½ years until I recently stepped down to run for the Commonwealth Court.

Workers' Compensation is the largest subject matter jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Court and together with unemployment compensation, comprises approximately one-third to forty percent of the entire case-load of that court. Thus, I feel that 20 years of practical experience in the field, including 12 ½ years as a Commissioner/ administrative appeals judge, where I adjudicated and authored over 3500 decisions, demonstrate that I have the experience and proven ability that the people of Pennsylvania expect in their appellate judges.

I think it is important for me to express why I am running for Judge of the Pennsylvania Court.

As a husband, father and scout leader, I try to stress the importance of service. I firmly believe that whether it be your family, your community or your profession, you must unselfishly give back to others what you, yourself, have graciously received.

Within my family, I have been very fortunate to have been active in my children's activities by serving as a Scoutmaster, youth baseball coach, PTA dad, writing workshop volunteer and in other roles, but also within my community as Chairman of the local Parking Authority, the municipal Traffic Board, and as a member of various other municipal and school advisory committees.

It is important, too, that we give back professionally. As I noted above, my work as a Commissioner on the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board, and prior to that in private practice, has been most rewarding. I have always attempted to apply the values of hard work, fairness and objectivity in issuing my decisions to make certain that they are competent, responsive and reasoned. Because of these positive experiences, I now feel that I have something to contribute back to my profession and that is why I have decided to respectfully seek your vote as a candidate for Judge of The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania."