Kathleen McGinty

Kathleen Alana "Katie" McGinty is an American environmentalist and former government official. She served as Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.^[1] An advisor to Vice President Al Gore, she became an environmental advisor to President Bill Clinton. Later, she served as Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in the Cabinet of Governor Ed Rendell. Prior to the nomination of Lisa P. Jackson, she was mentioned as a possible United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator under President Barack Obama,^[2] and as a possible candidate to succeed Ed Rendell as Governor of Pennsylvania, but was not a candidate in the 2010 election.^[3]

McGinty was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2014.^[4] On August 4, 2015 she officially announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2016.^[5]

Early life and education

The ninth of ten children of a retired police officer and a hostess, McGinty was born in Philadelphia. She graduated from St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls, in Northeast Philadelphia. She graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from Saint Joseph’s University and has a J.D. from Columbia Law School.^[6]

Business career

Kathleen McGinty left her position as Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Strategic Growth at Weston Solutions, Inc., an environmental redevelopment and specialty construction firm to devote her full-time to an unsuccessful run for Governor of Pennsylvania.^[4] Joining the company in October 2010, McGinty led Weston Solutions Inc.’s brownfield redevelopment, clean energy and water businesses. McGinty also chaired the Investment Committee at Weston Solutions, Inc., a board charged with reviewing and approving proposed equity and debt commitments across our various sustainability opportunities.^[7]

McGinty was an Operating Partner of Element Partners, a clean technology investment firm. She served on the board of directors at NRG Energy, Inc., a leading wholesale power company, and Iberdrola USA, a gas and electric utility. She was a member of two shale gas advisory boards, one established by U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and one created by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. McGinty also served as a Director on the Board of the World Resources Institute, a global non-profit organization focused on sustainability, and formerly as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Saint Joseph’s University.^[8]

Political career

On April 12, 2013, McGinty announced she would be a candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2014.^[4] McGinty finished fourth in the primary behind Allyson Schwartz, Rob McCord, and eventual general election winner Tom Wolf, who appointed her his chief of staff. She served in that capacity from January 2015 until July 2015, amid speculation that she was considering running for the United States Senate in the 2016 election.^[9][10] On August 4, 2015 she officially announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2016 and was later endorsed by EMILY's List, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.^[11][12][13]

Awards and honors

McGinty holds honorary Doctorate degrees from Clarion University, Dickinson College, and Muhlenberg College. She was named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the “Business Leader of the Year” award of the Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future; the “Woman of the Year Award” of the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment; the “All the Right Stuff” award of the Apollo Alliance, and the “Ansel Adams “ award of the Wilderness Society.^[14]

Education

• Juris Doctor - Columbia University School of Law
• Bachelor of Science in chemistry - St. Joseph’s University

Personal life

McGinty is married to Dr. Karl Hausker. They have three daughters and reside in Wayne, Pennsylvania.^[15]

References

External links

Official

• Campaign website

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