Biography

Pennsylvania State Senator Rob Wonderling was elected to his first term in the Pennsylvania Senate in November 2002 and was re-elected to his second term in 2006. As a husband and father of three children, a business executive, and a community leader, Rob understands the issues that are most important to our communities and families in the 24th District.

He is committed to promoting economic development and job creation, modernizing our infrastructure, maintaining access to high quality health care services, helping young entrepreneurs and families prosper, and reducing the tax burden on all Pennsylvanians.

Rob's legislative initiatives to advance the priorities of his constituents are reflected by his committee assignments. He is Chairman of the Transportation Committee and a member of the Game and Fisheries Committee, the Community and Economic Development Committee, the Public Health and Welfare Committee, the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, and the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee.

In addition to his Senate committee assignments, Rob serves on the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation Board and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) Board of Trustees.  He was appointed to the Pennsylvania Public Television Network Board of Directors and serves as co-chair to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges and the Life Science Caucus, which addresses policy issues important to the biotechnology and life science industry.

Prior to being elected to the state Senate, Rob served as Governor Tom Ridge's Deputy Secretary of Transportation, responsible for improving the operation and efficiency of PennDOT's 5,000-employee highway maintenance workforce. Before joining the Ridge Administration, Rob worked at Allentown-based Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Rob received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Allegheny College and a Master's degree in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1997, he attended the program for Senior Executives in State Government at Harvard University.

Rob's other legislative priorities include:

• Introducing legislation to reform the Commonwealth's 66 conservation districts, to help better coordinate efforts between districts and improve the administration of our environmental laws and regulations;
• Introducing legislation, which was signed into law, to preserve more farmland by reducing the acreage required for preservation from 50 to 35 acres;
• Introducing legislation to help reduce the high cost of health insurance for small businesses by spreading the cost of health   care over a greater geographic area and requiring health insurance companies to develop a modified demographic rate for health benefit plans for employers;
• Supporting legislation to help reduce the overall cost of health care by restoring the Fair Share Act, which brings Pennsylvania in line with lawsuit reform passed in 44 other states by eliminating "joint and severability" in cases where a defendant is found to be less than 60 percent responsible;
• Introducing legislation to create a cancer drug repository for the donation of unused cancer drugs;
• Voting to hold state spending increases to the rate of inflation, setting aside half of the surplus revenues in the state's Rainy Day Fund for use in times of economic necessity and half in a new Taxpayer Fairness Fund to reduce the Personal Income Tax;
• Examining a wide range of options to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public transit, highways and bridges and their underlying funding and working with transit officials, business leaders, and community activists to develop a restoration plan for freight and passenger train service from Quakertown to Stony Creek;
• Introducing a bill to expand requirements for criminal background checks for people in occupations who come in regular contact with children and introducing legislation to reduce the creation and dissemination of methamphetamine and provide precursor restrictions on the sale of products used in methamphetamine production;
• Supporting eminent domain legislation to restrict local governments and developers from seizing private property;
• Supporting legislation to give the public a clear accounting of lobbying activity in Pennsylvania;
• Working to strengthen Pennsylvania's gaming law ethics prohibiting any public official, executive level public employee or party official from holding a financial interest in a licensed entity;
• Supporting legislation to make higher education more affordable by allowing school districts to apply for funding under a new state program that allows students to earn college credits while in high school;
• Supporting Growing Greener II, an initiative to protect, restore, conserve and preserve Pennsylvania's environment and natural resources, and working to find alternative energy sources and innovative energy technologies.

In addition to his Senate committee assignments, Rob serves on the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation Board and was recently appointed to the Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) Board of Trustees.  He also serves as co-chair the Life Science Caucus, which addresses policy issues important to the biotechnology and life science industry.

As Governor Tom Ridge's Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Rob was responsible for improving the operation and efficiency of PennDOT's 5,000-employee highway maintenance workforce. During that time, he developed and implemented the Agility Program, which coordinates highway services between PennDOT and municipal and county governments across the state. The initiative has saved taxpayers millions of dollars a year. Rob also held the position of Chief Operating Officer of the Team Pennsylvania Economic Development Organization. In this role, he worked closely with Governor Ridge and business and community leaders throughout the Commonwealth on matters related to workforce development, tourism, job retention, infrastructure and transportation improvements, and attracting new industries to our state.

Before joining the Ridge Administration, Rob worked at Allentown-based Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., where he led initiatives to make the air cleaner, and to make energy consumption more efficient.

As President of the PENJERDEL Council, an organization devoted to the Delaware Valley's economic and environmental prosperity, Rob was involved in numerous policy initiatives related to our region's environment, water supply, land use planning, and trails.

Rob received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Allegheny College and a Master's degree in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1997, he was selected by Governor Tom Ridge to attend the program for Senior Executives in State Government at Harvard University.

Rob lives in Lower Salford Township with his wife Kristin and their sons Sam, Mark, and Ben. He and his family are members at the Cornerstone Church of Skippack. He is also a member of the Boulder Valley Gun Club and the National Rifle Association.

The 2002 Reapportionment Plan has drawn the 24th Senatorial District to include the following municipalities: 

Bucks County - The Townships of Durham, East Rockhill, Milford, Nockamixon, Richland and Springfield, and the Boroughs of Quakertown, Richlandtown, Riegelsville and Trumbauersville. 

Lehigh County - The Townships of Lower Milford, Salisbury, Upper Milford and Upper Saucon, and the Boroughs of Coopersburg, Emmaus and Macungie. 

Montgomery County - The Townships of Lower Frederick, Lower Salford, Marlborough, New Hanover, Salford, Towamencin, Upper Frederick, Upper Hanover, and Upper Salford, and the Boroughs of East Greenville, Green Lane, Lansdale, Pennsburg and Red Hill. 

Northampton County - The City of Easton, the Townships of Forks, Palmer and Williams, and the Boroughs of Glendon, Tatamy, West Easton and Wilson.