Candidate for
State Representative; Pennsylvania State House of Representatives; District 97

Born and raised in Lititz, PA + America's Coolest Small Town + Charlie Hample is Special Education Teacher for the School District of Lancaster and a former Army Reservist. Charlie has a passion for service, which began at a young age. While a junior at Warwick High School, Charlie joined the Army Reserves at age 17 and served his country as an active Reservist for eight years. Between weekend drills and while working full time, Charlie earned his Associate's Degree in Police Science from Harrisburg Community College, his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Penn State University and completed his training at the Federal Training Academy in Glencoe, Georgia before accepting a position as a Correctional Officer for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was during his time as a Correctional Officer, while teaching inmates to read, that Charlie first discovered his passion for teaching and helping others.

Charlie moved back home to Lititz and accepted a position as a Case Counselor with Alternative Rehabilitation Communities, where he provided individual counseling services to incarcerated juveniles. Charlie also worked as a Case Manager with Philhaven School Based Day Hospital in York City, providing individual and group treatment to elementary students in need of mental health services, Charlie received his special education certification from Millersville University and began his career with the York City School District as an Emotional Support Specialist.

Charlie taught in the York City School District for 13 years, was recognized by the Department of Education for outstanding use of metacognitive strategies in teaching and was featured in a series of instructional videos entitled "Teaching Matters." Charlie has been outspoken against Governor Corbett's cuts to public education and appeared on MSNBC's The Ed Show, as a spokesperson for students and teachers feeling the effects of the Governor's cuts. Charlie is now teaching special education at King Elementary School in Lancaster City.

In his free time, Charlie honors fallen soldiers as a member of the Lancaster Vet 21 Honor Guard. Charlie is deeply committed to ensuring that veterans and their families are honored and that veterans receive the opportunities and services they need to re-acclimate to civilian life, pursue education and find jobs to provide for themselves and their families. Charlie also enjoys hunting and spending time with his wife Nikole, also a teacher, and his eleven year old son and four year old twin daughters.

When elected to the PA State House, Charlie will devote his full energies to representing all people living in the 97th District. Charlie is committed to restoring funding levels for education, working across the aisle to address the unfunded liability of our state pension system, creating opportunities for local business to grow and create jobs and exploring limits on property tax increases.