Author: Pennsylvania Press Club

Harrisburg Hilton at noon

Mark Segal
Founder and Publisher
Philadelphia Gay News

Mark Segal founded Philadelphia Gay News as a monthly in 1976 and has been publisher of the now-weekly newspaper ever since. Today, PGN is one of the two oldest LGBT weekly publications in the United States, and the largest on the East Coast, with a weekly circulation of about 50,000.

Before starting PGN he was a gay activist. In 1972, after being thrown out of a dance competition for dancing with his male partner, Segal crashed the evening news broadcast of WPVI-TV, in what became known as a “zap.” By 1973, Segal, along with Harry Langhorne, calling themselves Gay Raiders, had zapped “The Tonight Show,” “Today,” “The Mike Douglas Show” and then the “CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.” Starting at Segal’s 1974 trial for zapping Cronkite, the CBS anchor asked Segal for details on the gay community’s media complaints. The “CBS Evening News” substantially increased its coverage of gay news and Cronkite became a supporter of gay rights.

In 1975, Segal went on a hunger strike and a “sit-in” at the Philadelphia City Council to call attention to the need for a gay-rights ordinance. In 1976, the PGN used Pennsylvania Department of Justice memos to show that state police were entrapping gay men seeking sex. In the late 1970s, PGN was publicizing how legislators voted on laws that concerned the gay community. By 1981, PGN published a series about drug and alcohol abuse within the gay community, and was mainstream enough to boast about its straight readership. In 1993, Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philadelphia” award for “Clout” was given to Segal. Starting in 2004, Segal has been elected and re-elected as president of the National Gay Newspaper Guild. After numerous awards and accomplishments over more than 40 years, Segal is most proud, however, to still be called a “gay activist.”

 

Harrisburg Hilton at Noon

Robert Wonderling
President & CEO
Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia

As President and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Rob leads a business advocacy organization of member companies that promotes growth and economic development in the 11-county Greater Philadelphia region.

Rob joined the Chamber in 2009 with an agenda to advance the region’s businesses, particularly by strengthening opportunities for entrepreneurs and minority-owned businesses. Shortly after his arrival, he greatly expanded the Chamber’s highly successful CEO Access Network to connect CEOs and minority entrepreneurs in order to drive business growth and create economic opportunity.

In addition to his responsibilities as head of the Chamber, Rob also serves as Chairman of the CEO Council for Growth, the federal advocacy arm of the chamber, comprised of business, higher education, and civic leaders from the tri-state region focused on promoting economic growth.

From 2002 to 2009, Rob served in the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he first served as Chairman of the Communications and Technology Committee and then as Chairman of the Transportation Committee. He also served in the executive branch of state government in the Ridge-Schweiker administration as Deputy Secretary of Transportation.

He currently serves on the boards of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Advisory Council, UNIVEST Corporation of Pennsylvania, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Corporate Council. He is also Chair of the Board of Trustees at Ursinus College.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Allegheny College in 1984 and a Master’s degree in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991. He attended the program for Senior Executives in State Government at Harvard University in 1997.

Rob and his wife Kristin have three adult sons, Sam, Mark and Ben.
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Tickets are $30 per person or $300 for reserved table of 10.  Payment is required in advance and can be made payable to the PA Press Club by check or Visa or MasterCard.  If you would like to attend, please RSVP to info@papressclub.org by April 25.

 

Harrisburg Hilton at Noon

Dr. Daniel Greenstein
Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

Dr. Daniel Greenstein became the fifth chancellor of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education on September 4, 2018. In that role, he serves as chief executive officer of the State System, which operates Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities, serving more than 100,000 students.

Greenstein previously led the Postsecondary Success strategy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he worked with other higher education leaders across the country on initiatives designed to raise educational-attainment levels and to promote economic mobility, especially among low-income and minority students.

Before joining the foundation, Greenstein was Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Programs for the University of California (UC) system.

He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from the University of Oxford. An enthusiastic cyclist, Dan and his wife, Melissa, have two children. ​

Harrisburg Hilton at Noon

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman

Sen. Jake Corman was elected to the Senate of Pennsylvania in 1998. He represents the 34th Senatorial District, which includes all of Centre, Mifflin, and Juniata counties and part of Huntingdon County.

Sen. Corman serves as Majority Leader of the State Senate, a position which he was first elected to by his colleagues in 2015. As Majority Leader, Senator Corman sets the legislative agenda, develops policies and strategies for the Senate Republican Caucus, and chairs the Senate Rules and Executive Nominations Committee.  He also plays a major role in negotiating issues with the Administration and House of Representatives as well as supervising action on the Senate floor.

Sen. Corman obtained an Associate Degree in Communications from the Pennsylvania College of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He is married to Kelli Corman. They are the parents of three children – Isabella, Davis and Jacob. The Corman family resides in Bellefonte, Centre County.