Candidate for
State Senator; Pennsylvania State Senate; District 22

JOHN P. BLAKE 100 Lackawanna Street Archbald, Pennsylvania 18433 (570) 876-4703 jblake@echoes.net

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Pennsylvania State Senate 2011 to present

Elected in November 2010 to serve a four-year term as PA State Senator for the 22nd Senatorial District comprising all of Lackawanna County and parts of Monroe and Luzerne Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

University of Scranton Kania School of Management, Scranton, PA Adjunct Faculty - Economics 2010 to 2013

PA Department of Community and Economic Development, Harrisburg, PA Executive Deputy Secretary 2007 to 2010

• Chief Operating Officer of a state agency with a $500 million average annual budget and 350 staff
• Direct supervision of six DCED offices: International Business; Technology Investment; Business Assistance; Community Affairs and Development; Tourism, Film and Marketing; and Administration
• Established the PA Office of Open Records to assure transparency in the conduct of state business
• Effected organizational and process changes for contract compliance and established a new Financial Management Center to centralize audits, compliance, monitoring and performance reporting functions
• Assisted in implementing a $3 billion economic stimulus; an $800 million program for wastewater treatment upgrades; a $350 million alternative energy program; $100 million in community revitalization funded by gaming revenues and bond issues; and led PA's participation in the federal Immigrant Investor Program
• Facilitated a $35 million HUD Section 108 loan to avoid liquidation of a major retailer and protect 5,000 jobs
• Worked with IBM business consulting to benchmark labor draw areas in PA to national and international competitors in Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, High Technology and Business Services and participated in national and international business attraction efforts
• Represented PA in economic development and tourism related discussions with China in 2008
• Significant public speaking and legislator engagement including testimony to state legislative committees
• Served as Acting Secretary from October, 2008 to February, 2009 and effected budget reserve actions and other major business decisions to sustain the agency's mission and staff through a deep economic recession
• Designated DCED's federal stimulus coordinator to steward program management and reporting for $400 million in new federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

• consolidated five state functions into a new Northeast Office--oversight of 10 staff and all office operations
• facilitated $40 million in state loans/grants to support a $200 million flu vaccine facility at Sanofi Aventis
• effected workout on a $25 million state budget office project avoiding default on a federal USDA Guarantee
• implemented operational efficiencies for a $200 million community revitalization grant program at DCED
• secured a $15 million federal grant to support workforce development in the financial services industry
• conducted preliminary financial and feasibility analyses of community and economic development projects and recommended new state redevelopment capital assistance investment in 15 northeast PA counties

2000 to 2003

• managed and reported performance for a $35 million portfolio of community development investments
• sought lending and investment opportunities; conducted due diligence; and presented recommendations to the investment committee of the bank's Community Development Corporation
• $10 million in new business approved, closed and funded for residential/commercial real estate development
• relationship manager to limited partnerships, non-profits, local governments, small business investment corporations and Community Development Financing Institutions in two regional markets
• managed PNC Foundation funds and PNC's compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Philadelphia, PA Community Builders Fellowship 1998-2000

One of 300 professionals selected from among 9,000 applicants nationwide to serve a 2-year fellowship. Represented HUD in 17 counties of eastern PA including seven urban HUD-entitlement jurisdictions

• strengthened liaisons between communities, housing authorities and staff in HUD's major program divisions
• marketed HUD programs and used HUD 2020 MIS to inform local governments and project managers
• field-monitored federal contract compliance/grantee performance for HUD-funded contracts
• provided deal-structuring technical assistance for residential and commercial revitalization projects

Bi-county tourism promotion agency with $750,000 annual budget; 130 member businesses; and a corporate mission to market and promote a broad variety of tourism and hospitality related assets in Northeast PA

• facilitated all marketing, advertising and public relations with print and broadcast media
• refined financial reporting and transformed operating deficit of $40,000 to a budget surplus of $5,000
• supervised 5 full time staff; wrote grants; and reported statistical/economic data to membership
• served as a founding partner and fiscal manager for the nationally acclaimed Steamtown Marathon

Middle manager in a DCA Regional Office serving Eastern PA with 5 program bureaus and 15 staff

• provided technical assistance to and evaluated state funding requests from units of local government and non-profit corporations
• monitored contract compliance/grantee performance for $25 million in state Housing and Redevelopment Assistance; state Community Development Block Grants; and HOME Investment Partnership contracts

Thirteen years of progressively responsible experience in housing, community development and economic development. Served as Housing Rehabilitation Specialist, Finance Officer and finally as Executive Director. Administered 15 programs involving over $50 million in public and private investment in Lackawanna County.

• increased agency budget from $150,000 in 1987 to over $1,500,000 in 1994
• obtained $8 million in public/private financing for housing rehabilitation and homeownership, assisting over 1,500 owner and renter occupied housing units with over $1 million in grants/loans annually
• supervised 8 full time staff and negotiated, executed and monitored professional services contracts for legal, appraisal, architectural, engineering and construction management services
• established Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) districts to attract business and support job growth; issued tax exempt bonds to finance infrastructure improvements; and managed all TIF revenues and debt service
• devised financing plans and managed all real property acquisition; utility relocation and bridge reconstruction for 5 large-scale federal/state flood control projects in the Lackawanna River watershed
• developed a $4 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit project to create 44 units of senior housing

COMPUTER SKILLS

IBM PC & compatibles, Apple/Macintosh. Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook and Access.

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON, KANIA SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, Scranton, PA MBA, Finance, 2001

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, Cambridge, MA Executive Education in Public Management, HUD Community Builders Fellowship, 1998

MARYWOOD COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, Scranton, PA MSW, Administrative Track, 1987

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY, Villanova, PA BA, Sociology, 1983

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Numerous statewide, regional, local, professional and civic affiliations including prior service in my capacities as Executive Deputy or as Acting Secretary of DCED as member or chairman of the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority(PIDA); the Commonwealth Financing Authority(CFA); the PA Economic Development Financing Authority(PEDFA); the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority(BFTDA); the PA Energy Development Authority(PEDA); the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority(PENNVEST); the PA Minority Business Development Authority(PMBDA); the PA Community Development Bank; and the Governor's Economic Development Committee of the Cabinet. I also represented DCED with the Urban Land Institute, the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association; the PA State Workforce Investment Board; the International Economic Development Council and the Appalachian Region Low Level Radioactive Waste Commission.

I served as a past chairman of the PA Tobacco Settlement Investment Board(TSIB); the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Lackawanna; and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, PA's first heritage park.

I also served as a member and officer for Consumer Credit Counseling of NEPA; United Cerebral Palsy of Northeast PA; the Advocacy Alliance; the Wall Street West/WIRED Executive Committee; the PA Downtown Center; the Great Valley Technology Alliance; United Neighborhood Centers of Lackawanna County; and the Archbald Borough Planning Commission. I am also a member of the Executive Committee of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County and the Irish American Men's Association of Lackawanna County.

I am a past member of the PA Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies (PAHRA) and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials(NAHRO). I was also founder and chairman of the Lackawanna County Community Housing Resource Board; Housing Opportunities Partnerships, Inc.; and the Eastern PA Association of Community Development and Redevelopment Agencies (CoDRA).

Between 2010 and 2013 I served as a member of the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee for Arista Power, Inc. (ASPW), a Rochester, NY-based energy company that produces custom-designed renewable energy storage and power management systems.

As Senator for the 22nd Senatorial District of PA I currently serve on five PA State Senate Standing Committees -- Appropriations; Community, Economic and Recreational Development; Labor and Industry; Local Government; and I serve as Minority Chairman for the Senate Finance Committee. I founded as serve as co-chair of the Military Installations and Base Development Caucus of the PA General Assembly. I also serve as a member of the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission, the PA State Workforce Investment Board, The Team PA Foundation, the Military Communities Protection Commission; the PA Public Employees Retirement Commission and the Capitol Preservation Commission.