HARRISBURG – The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has re-elected state Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) to serve as Chairman of its 11 member Board of Directors.
The Center is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
“I am again very humbled to be re-elected Chairman of the Board for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania,” said Yaw. “As a state Senator and resident of rural Pennsylvania, I find the research and reports conducted and distributed by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania invaluable to our work in Harrisburg and also to many individuals, groups and organizations in my district, and across the Commonwealth.”
The Center works with the legislature, educators, state and federal executive branch agencies, and national, statewide, regional and local organizations to maximize resources and strategies that can better serve Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents.
“Approximately 27 percent of the state’s 12.7 million residents live in 48 rural counties,” Yaw added. “By 2030, Pennsylvania rural counties are projected to have a total population of 3.57 million people, a 3 percent increase from 2010. This further amplifies the importance of the work provided by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.”
Created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania promotes and sustains the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities by:
- sponsoring research projects to identify policy options for legislative and executive branch consideration and action;
- collecting data on trends and conditions to understand the diversity of rural Pennsylvania;
- publishing information and research results to inform and educate audiences about the diverse people and communities of rural Pennsylvania; and
- participating in local, state and national forums on rural issues to present and learn from best practices.
During yesterday’s meeting, the Board of Directors also elected state Senator John Wozniak (D-35) as Vice Chairman, Dr. Nancy Falvo of Clarion University as Secretary and state Representative Garth Everett (R-84) as Treasurer.
To learn more about the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, click on www.rural.palegislature.us.
Contact: Rita Zielonis
(717) 787-3280