Scarnati to Speak at Pitt-Bradford

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, who was sworn in Wednesday as Pennsylvania’s 31st lieutenant governor, will address the graduating Class of 2009 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford next spring.

Scarnati, who was recently elected to his third term in the Senate as the representative from the 25th District, will deliver the keynote address during commencement exercises at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, in the Sport & Fitness Center on the Pitt-Bradford campus.

“Senator Scarnati has emerged as one of the most highly respected public officials in the commonwealth,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, Pitt-Bradford president, “and we’re grateful that he has agreed to address our graduates at the 2009 commencement.”

“Senator Scarnati has much to share with our graduating students as they seek to find their way in a complex world,” Alexander continued. “He exemplifies the values of hard work, perseverance, and never giving up. His remarkable story is one our students need to hear.”

Scarnati, R-Brockway, was sworn in as lieutenant governor during a private ceremony in Harrisburg on Wednesday, Dec. 3, by Superior Court Judge John M. Cleland of Kane. Scarnati, 46, assumed the lieutenant governor’s duties after the death of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll on Nov. 12.

As lieutenant governor, Scarnati will be second in line to Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, who was Pitt-Bradford’s commencement speaker in 2007. In his new role, Scarnati’s primary responsibilities will be presiding over the Senate and serving as chairman of the Board of Pardons, which each month reviews the cases of convicted criminals seeking clemency for their sentences.

As the senator from the 25th District, Scarnati represents the biggest Senatorial district – Cameron, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter and Tioga counties, along with parts of Clearfield and Warren counties. After serving six years in the Senate, he was sworn in as President Pro Tempore, the third-highest constitutional office in the state, on Jan. 2, 2007, and has taken on issues ranging from reducing taxes to cutting the cost of government in the state.

“Joe Scarnati is my kind of person,” said Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow, D-Lackawanna. “Very reasonable, a moderate, not an overly partisan person, and he wants to get the job done.”

Scarnati got his start in politics in 1986 when he was elected to the Brockway Borough Council. At that time, he was also running the family restaurant in Brockway. He later became chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party.

He was first elected to the Senate in 2000, defeating incumbent Sen. William Slocum. For two years, Scarnati served as chairman of the Labor and Industry Committee. He also served as Majority Deputy Whip from July 2005 to February 2006 and Majority Policy Committee Chairman from February to November in 2006.

He holds a degree in business administration from Penn State University’s DuBois Campus.

Scarnati has served as an ex-officio member of Pitt-Bradford’s Advisory Board since being elected to the Senate. He is also a past president of the Jefferson County Development Council, a member of the Horton Sportsmen Club, the National Rifle Association, the Gunowners of America and St. Tobias Church.

“I think that Senator Scarnati will enjoy getting to know our bright and talented students,” Alexander said, “and I’m sure he’ll be pleased that many of our graduates plan to live and work in the region and contribute to the long term health and vitality of its various communities.”