Session No. 3F

Legislative Perspective on the Transportation Industry

Brief presentation on the panel and potential topics followed by open panel Q & A:  Topics could include: Highlights of any recently passed transportation-related legislative actions and any potential transportation-related legislative actions under consideration; Thoughts and concerns from a legislative perspective on the future of transportation

Moderator: Casey Moore, P.E., McMahon Associates, Inc.      

Panelists

Legislators/Staff from Pennsylvania Senate/House Transportation Committees, ACEC

• Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr., PA Senate — Senate Transportation Committee (Majority Chair), Pennsylvania Senate
• Representative Mike Carroll, Pennsylvania House — House Transportation Committee (Minority Chair), Pennsylvania House
• Ken McClain, PennDOT Alternative Funding Program Director, PennDOT
• Leeann Sherman (ACEC/PA), Executive Director, ACEC/PA

Bios

A lifelong resident of Cambria County, Wayne Langerholc, Jr. was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in November 2016. In the 2021-2021 session, he serves as the chairman of the Transportation Committee and also serves on the Appropriations, Community, Economic and Recreational Development, and Judiciary Committees. Langerholc dedicated his career to protecting families and seeking justice for innocent victims of crime as a Cambria County Assistant District Attorney. He also worked to protect local taxpayers while serving as a Richland Township supervisor. As a lifelong resident of Richland Township, in the heart of the 35th Senatorial District, Wayne understands the opportunities and challenges faced by the region and the Commonwealth, and has fought for jobs, government reform, and public safety. As an Assistant District Attorney, Langerholc served as the lead prosecutor for the Cambria County Drug Task Force, where he maintained an unblemished 100% felony trial conviction record while working to keep our families and children safe. He earned a reputation as being tough on violent offenders, compassionate toward crime victims, and dedicated to teaching our children the dangers of drugs and alcohol. His legislative priorities remains fighting crime and curbing the heroin and opioid drug epidemic. Langerholc is a graduate of Richland High School, Juniata College, and Widener School of Law. He and his wife, Cortney have three daughters. The 35th District includes all of Cambria County, Bedford County, and parts of Clearfield County.

State Rep. Mike Carroll, D-118, Luzerne/Lackawanna, was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2006. He formerly worked as the chief of staff for then-state Rep. John Yudichak, was a legislative liaison for transportation issues under Gov. Robert Casey and served as district office director for Congressman Paul Kanjorski. A graduate of Pittston Area High School, Carroll earned a bachelor of arts in liberal studies from the University of Scranton. Carroll is Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee. Carroll is a member of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Board of Directors and a board member for the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he served as the 2010-11 Legislative Fellow at East Stroudsburg University. A lifelong resident of Avoca, he is a member of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick in Pittston, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Avoca Division. He is a member of Queen of the Apostles Parish in Avoca and has served as a lector for the past 40 years. In 2010, Carroll was awarded the Boy Scouts of America Minsi Trails Council Distinguished Citizen Award for his work to rehabilitate the Stillwater Dam in Tobyhanna Township. In 2014, he was awarded the Jean Yates Award from the Pittston Memorial Library Board of Trustees based on his dedication and service to the library and the Joseph Battisto Award for his legislative service to the citizens of Monroe County. In 2015, he received the Pennsylvania Citizens for Better Libraries (PCBL) State Elected Official Award. In May 2016, he received the BAYADA Home Health Care Champion award, and in June 2016 he was presented with the Silver Bayonet Award by AMVETS in grateful appreciation of services rendered to the community, state and nation. In 2017, Carroll received the Champion for Children award from the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children for his leadership on issues helping Pennsylvania’s children. In 2019, he was awarded the Spirit of the Community Award from the Greater Pittston YMCA. Carroll and his wife, Kelly, have three children: Matt, Mackenzie and Ali. He is the son of Michael and Jean Marie Carroll, also of Avoca.

Kenneth M. McClain was appointed to the position of Alternative Funding Program Director as a special assignment to the Secretary of Transportation in October of 2020. McClain was charged with starting an inaugural program to consider, evaluate, and implement alternative funding strategies in Pennsylvania that would lead to sustainable funding solutions and reduce PennDOT’s reliance on gas tax revenues. Prior to this appointment, McClain served the previous five years (September 2015 to October 2020) as the District Executive for PennDOT Engineering District 6 where he managed a 928 person staff responsible for the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operations of the state highway system in PennDOT’s engineering district that covers Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Within the five counties, PennDOT owns and maintains 3,562 miles of state highway and 2,762 bridges. McClain began his career with PennDOT in 1994 as a Civil Engineer Trainee. Over the course of 13 years, he progressed through various engineering positions in PennDOT’s Engineering District 5, which covers the Lehigh Valley region, and was promoted to Highway Design Manager prior to leaving the department in 2007. From 2007 to 2015, McClain worked in the private sector for Borton-Lawson Engineering, where he managed two offices in the Lehigh Valley and the URS Corporation, where he served as Transportation Client Services Manager. McClain proudly served more than 20 years with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as a combat engineer, retiring from service in October 2010 at the rank of First Sergeant. McClain also served as a Commissioner on the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission from 2010 to 2015 where he served as the Transportation Committee Chairman for three of those years. McClain is a Past President of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) — Lehigh Valley Chapter, where he also served several, three-year terms on the ASHE Board of Directors. McClain graduated from Bucknell University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. He resides in the Lehigh Valley with his wife Heather and sons Sean and Nathan.

Leeann Sherman began serving as the Executive Director of ACEC/PA in 2017 from the Pennsylvania Public Transit Association (PPTA) where she has served as executive director for four and half years. She has more than 25 years of management experience in the tourism, transportation and non-profit sectors with a background in business operations, fiscal management, human resources, board and member relations, professional education, meeting coordination, and advocacy. Sherman was a driving force behind the success of Act 89 and ensuring that public transportation was an integral part of the funding program. As a member of the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition, she is aware of the challenges and issues that lie ahead for the consulting engineering community. Sherman has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management and master’s degree in community & economic development, both from Penn State. She has served as Chair of the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Association of Association Executives (PASAE) and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) the highest professional credential in the association industry.