2009 Pennsylvania
Leadership Conference

Keynote Panel – Congressional Panel

Moderator:

Robert Walker, Wexler & Walker

Panelists:

Hon. Joseph Pitts, Congressman

Hon. Glenn Thompson, Congressman

John Gizzi, Human Events

Saturday, March 28, 2009

8:00 - 9:00 am

Moderator:


Robert Walker

• Robert Walker, Walker & Wexler (click for bio)

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Wexler & Walker Chairman Robert S. Walker has an insider's knowledge of politics and policy based on decades of high-level government experience. Recognized as one of Washington's leading political strategists, Congressman Walker is in constant demand for his in-depth counsel on public policy issues and trends.

Mr. Walker retired from service in the U.S. House of Representatives after 20 years representing Pennsylvania's 16th District. During that time he was Chairman the Committee on Science and Technology (then called the Science Committee), Chief Deputy Whip, Vice Chairman of the Budget Committee, Chairman of the Republican Leadership and Speaker Pro Tempore.

Presently, Congressman Walker continues his public service work as Chairman of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee. His long-time involvement in alternative fuels and climate policy have made him a recognized world leader in this arena.

His expertise in aerospace issues also is recognized and utilized. In 2001, he was appointed to chair the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. In 2004, he served on the President's Commission on Implementation of the U.S. Space Exploration Policy. For several years Congressman Walker was a member of the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Research Council. Back in 1996 he was the first sitting House Member to be awarded NASA's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal and in 2004 received the NASA Distinguished Public Services Medal. Today he is on the boards of the Aerospace Corporation, Space Adventures and SpaceDev. From 2006 – 2008, he was Chairman of the Space Foundation and is presently a Director Emeritus of that board.

In naming Walker as one of the 100 most prominent space leaders of the last 15 years, Space News called him, "one of Washington's most influential lobbyists" whose "stature and influence have only grown since leaving Congress."

For more than thirty years Congressman Walker has played a key role in the development and implementation of major public strategies related to science, space, technology, energy and legislative procedure. As a member of the board of American Solutions he is helping to pursue new policy options for meeting the complex challenges of the 21st Century. He appears regularly on Fox News and PBS. He lectures frequently at the Brookings Institute and Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University.

Congressman Walker holds a B.S. in Education from Millersville University where the Walker Center for Civic Responsibility and Leadership is located. Additionally, he has an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Delaware and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Franklin and Marshall College.

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Panelists:

Joseph Pitts

• Hon. Joseph Pitts, Congressman (click for bio)

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Joe Pitts is a sixth-term Congressman who represents the 16th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. The son of an Army officer, Joe spent several years of his youth living in the Philippines. He attended Asbury College in Kentucky and received his Master's Degree from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Air Force from 1963 to 1969, rising to the rank of Captain and flying 116 combat missions as a navigator and electronic warfare officer in Vietnam.

After leaving the Air Force, Joe returned to teaching math and science and coaching basketball at Great Valley High School, near Malvern College in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

In 1972, Joe began his service in the Pennsylvania state legislature. During his 24 years in Harrisburg, he served as chairman of the Labor and Industry Committee. He was then chosen by his colleagues to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee for eight years. In 1997, Joe was sworn into Congress, replacing Congressman Bob Walker as representative of Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District.

Joe is active with many organizations at home in Pennsylvania as well, including the Brandywine Valley Association, Bridges of Peace International, Crosslinks, Eastern College, the Keystone State Games, the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company, the Retired Officers Association, Rotary Club International, HOPE International and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Among the many awards and honors he has received are the Award for Manufacturing Legislation Excellence from the National Association of Manufacturers, the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business, the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the William Wilberforce Award from Prison Fellowship Ministries, the Taxpayer Hero Award from Citizens Against Government Waste, and the Hero of the Taxpayer Award from Americans for Tax Reform.

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Glenn Thompson

• Hon. Glenn Thompson, Congressman (click for bio)

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Glenn "G.T." Thompson is a first-term congressman who represents the 5th District of Pennsylvania, encompassing 17 counties.

Thompson is a lifetime resident of Howard Township, who grew up working in his parents' small family-owned sporting goods business. He graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor's Degree and Temple University with a master's degree.

Entering the health care profession in 1982 as a Recreational Therapist, he managed rehabilitation for Susquehanna Health for 26 years and was a licensed nursing home administrator. He served as Centre County Republican Chairman, the Bald Eagle Area School Board, Workforce Investment Board, Private Industry Council and as President of the Boy Scout Council.

Thompson's desire to serve is evident in his body of work as a 30 year firefighter, EMT, and Scoutmaster. He is a deacon/lay leader with the Howard Lighthouse Reformed Church. A husband of over 28 years, his wife, Penny, and children are a great source of pride.

He believes that a representative democracy includes responsibility for citizen participation. Thompson began his political participation in order to support government that he believed in and to work for change in laws/regulations with which he disagreed.

Thompson is committed to support our troops and a strong national defense, to assure tax cuts and a strong economy, to reduce the size and cost of government, to aid older adults, to advocate for market-based health care solutions, to champion American energy independence, to respect the rights of the unborn and to serve citizens of the rural 5th district.

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John Gizzi

• John Gizzi, Human Events (click for bio)

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With his daily access to the White House as a correspondent, Mr. Gizzi offers readers the inside scoop in his weekly politics column and Gizz-ette blog. The man who knows everyone in Washington got his start at Human Events in 1979 after graduating from Fairfield University in Connecticut and then working for the Travis County (Tex.) Tax Assessor.

Mr. Gizzi has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs, including those on C-SPAN, America's Voice, and Talk America, and is also a frequent contributor to the BBC. He is a past president of the Georgetown Kiwanis Club, past member of the St. Matthew's Cathedral's Parish Council, and secretary of the West End Friends of the Library. He is a recipient of the William A. Rusher Award for Journalistic Excellence and was named Journalist of the Year by the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2002.

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