Steve Wray Named Statewide Pennsylvania Economy League, Inc. Managing Director
March 3, 2010
The Pennsylvania Economy League, Inc. (PEL, Inc.), the state's leading regionally-based economic policy organization, named Steve Wray as its managing director. Wray is executive director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, PEL, Inc.'s affiliate in southeastern Pennsylvania. He assumed the rotating leadership position from Kathryn Z. Klaber, the former executive director of PEL, Inc.'s southwestern organization in Pittsburgh.
"Positioning the state for economic growth, rationalizing its governance, strengthening its infrastructure, and improving its workforce are goals of communities across the Commonwealth," said Gregory J. Nowak, Esq., partner at Pepper Hamilton LLP in Philadelphia and PEL, Inc. Chair. "The historic strength of PEL, Inc. is this statewide viewpoint informed by regional research and analysis."
As managing director, Wray reports to PEL, Inc.'s Board of Directors which is composed of representatives from the boards of each of PEL, Inc.'s three affiliate organizations. PEL, Inc. also maintains an office in Harrisburg
"Local government reform is at the top of PEL's agenda for the next two years," said Wray. "The recession has worsened the fiscal condition of Pennsylvania's municipalities, but the pressures from static or declining tax revenues, underfunded pensions, and rising costs have been building for decades. The 2010 election year provides an excellent opportunity for PEL to highlight the challenges facing Pennsylvania's local governments and the impact of our local governance systems on regional and state competitiveness. PEL's history of study and problem-solving in this arena uniquely qualifies us to connect previous and existing reform efforts and then develop and implement a strategy to improve the structure of local government to make the state, its regions, and its communities more competitive for people and investment."
PEL, Inc. State Board of Directors:
Gregory J. Nowak, Esq. - Pepper Hamilton, Chair
Robert M. Geneczko - PPL Electric Utilities, Vice Chair
Philip A. Peterson - Aon Consulting; H. David Prior, Esq. - Ballard Spahr; Thomas L. VanKirk, Esq. - Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney; Fred Callahan - Colony Papers; Joseph C. Bright, Esq. - Cozen O'Connor; Richard A. Russell - Giant Eagle; Richard G. Russell - Hershey Foods; Jeffrey P. Lindtner - Jeffrey P. Lindtner & Associates; Laura Ellsworth, Esq. - Jones Day; Lou Testoni - PriceWaterhouseCoopers; William H. Simpson - Susquehanna Real Estate.
PEL , Inc. Affiliates:
PEL Central (Wilkes-Barre)
Gerald Cross, Executive Director
www.pelcentral.org
PEL Southwest (Pittsburgh)
Brian K. Jensen, PhD, Deputy Executive Director
www.pelwest.org
Economy League of Greater Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Steve Wray, Executive Director
www.economyleague.org
About the Pennsylvania Economy League
Established in 1936, PEL is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, public policy research and development organization. Our mission is to provide critical information, perspective and support to the business, civic, and governmental leadership of our communities and our state in their efforts to make Pennsylvania a better place to live, work, and do business.