Steve Crawford '81 named PA Governor's Chief of Staff

Publish Date: 5/11/2009

May 11, 2009

MANSFIELD, PA— Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell has appointed Steve Crawford, a 1981 Mansfield University graduate, as his chief of staff. Crawford has been the Governor's secretary of Legislative Affairs since the beginning of his first term in 2003.

"Steve Crawford has been one of my closest advisers and top negotiators for six years,” Rendell said in making the announcement. “He is widely credited with moving our ambitious legislative agenda through an often contentious General Assembly. Steve has a hard-earned and well-deserved reputation for working in a bipartisan way to achieve real results for the people of Pennsylvania. I'm pleased to appoint him to this critical position."

As chief of staff, Crawford will serve as the top adviser to the Governor and manage the day-to-day activities of the executive branch of state government, including 18 cabinet agencies and the Governor's Office.

As secretary of Legislative Affairs, Crawford was involved in the strategic development, negotiation and final passage of almost every major issue facing the state in recent years.

Crawford came to the Governor's Office from the House of Representatives where he served on the executive staff since 1991. He was the executive director of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, leadership executive director to the Majority Caucus Chairman, and senior advisor to the Democratic Caucus. He dealt with a broad variety of issues from health care for developmentally disabled children to drought relief for stricken farmers.

Crawford previously served as deputy secretary of Agriculture under Governor Robert P. Casey. In that capacity, he was responsible for all policy development and legislative affairs of the agency. He also had responsibility over the economic development, marketing, land preservation programs. During his tenure, Pennsylvania established the nation’s most successful farmland preservation program.

He began his career in legislative relations as a director of government relations for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. There, he dealt with controversial issues including the rewrite of laws dealing with hazardous chemicals in the workplace, the migrant workforce, and tort reform.

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