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Senator Lisa Baker
Senator Lisa Baker is serving her second term representing
the 20th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Luzerne, Monroe and
Susquehanna counties and all of Pike, Wayne and Wyoming counties.
She chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency
Preparedness Committee and is a member of the following committees: Aging and
Youth, Appropriations, Communications and Technology, Environmental Resources
and Energy, and Public Health and Welfare.
Active in community and civic organizations, Senator Baker
serves on the board of directors of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, WVIA
Public Broadcasting, and the advisory board of Penn State Wilkes-Barre. She was
East Stroudsburg University's 2007-08 legislative fellow.
Her dedication to Pennsylvania's veterans is evidenced by
her work to secure funding for veterans' outreach and support programs. Her
commitment to emergency services personnel led to the creation of a state tax
credit for volunteer firefighters and EMS workers.
Senator Baker is leading the push for changes to the laws
and procedures governing the juvenile justice system, in the wake of widespread
corruption in Luzerne County. She is sponsoring a comprehensive flood relief
package to extend state grants to those hardest-hit by flooding and other
natural disasters and to offer low-interest loans to flood-ravaged small
businesses, as well as legislation to improve pipeline safety through increased
inspections, investigations and enforcement.
Honors and awards include the 2009 and 2010 Guardian of
Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business, the
2008 ATHENA Award from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and
Industry, and the 2010 Patrick Henry Award from the National Guard Association
of the United States.
Senator Baker previously held top-level positions under
Governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker, including serving as deputy chief of
staff and directing their Northeast Regional Office. She was chief of staff to
state Senator Charles Lemmond. She also served as executive director of The Blue
Ribbon Foundation, established to support health and wellness initiatives in
northeastern and northcentral Pennsylvania.
She is a graduate of Dallas High School and Shippensburg
University where she received a B.A. in Government Administration. She resides
in Lehman Township, Luzerne County, with her husband Gary, and their son Carson. | 