Robert C. Wonderling (born December 22, 1961) was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of the
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...
who represented the
24th District from 2003 to 2009. The district he represented includes portions of
Montgomery,
Berks,
Lehigh and
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
Counties and includes the population centers of
Easton,
Lansdale
Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely-populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In 1900, 2,754 people live ...
, and
Emmaus
Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...
. He resigned his seat on July 28, 2009, to become president and CEO of the
Chamber of Commerce
A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...
for
Greater Philadelphia
The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Vall ...
.
Biography
As chamber president and CEO,
Wonderling leads a business advocacy organization of member companies that promotes growth and economic development in the 11-county Greater Philadelphia region. He also serves as chairman of the CEO Council for Growth, the governing board of Select Greater Philadelphia. Previously, Wonderling worked for
Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems, Incorporated is an American-based software development company that develops, manufactures, licenses, sells and supports computer software and services for the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure. The company' ...
and Allentown-based
Air Products and Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an American international corporation whose principal business is selling gases and chemicals for industrial uses. Air Products' headquarters is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pen ...
. From 2002 to 2009, Wonderling served in the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he first served as chairman of the Communications and Technology Committee and then as chairman of the Transportation Committee. He also served in the executive branch of state government in the
Ridge Administration as Deputy Secretary of Transportation.
In recognition of his community involvement, he was awarded the 2011 Service to Humanity Award and was named "State Public Official of the Year" by Pennsylvania Bio in 2009. He recently served on the Philadelphia School Reform Commission Search Committee for a new superintendent of schools and currently serves as the chair of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on post-secondary education.
Career
In the 1990s, Wonderling served as the deputy secretary of the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Yassmin Gramian. Presently, Pe ...
under
Pennsylvania Governor
The governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the head of state and head of government of the U.S. state, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as commander-in-chief of the Commonwealth's military forces.
The governor has a duty to enforc ...
Tom Ridge. After leaving the Ridge Administration, he served as vice-president of Bentley Systems.
In 2002, Wonderling received the GOP nomination to run for retiring Ed Holl's Senate seat. Behind the scenes, his nomination caused a split in the Republican establishment. Former
Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
Secretary of Transportation
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...
Drew Lewis
Andrew Lindsay Lewis Jr. (November 3, 1931 – February 10, 2016), generally known as Drew Lewis, was an American businessman and politician from the state of Pennsylvania. He was United States Secretary of Transportation in the first portion ...
had pushed his son, Andy, for the seat, and the 24th district was shifted northward into the
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
in the 2001
redistricting
Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...
.
Andy Lewis decided not to run and, after Wonderling won the nomination, Drew formed a group called "Republicans for Maza" to support the
Democratic nominee Jim Maza.
Wonderling defeated Maza in the general election with 55% of the vote.
Wonderling successfully defended his seat in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
with 56% of the vote over Democrat Dave Wilsey, a
Quakertown borough councilman.
Wonderling was chairman of the Senate Communications & Technology Committee and vice chairman of the Game & Fisheries Committee. He also served on the Aging and Youth, Public Health and Welfare, and Rules and Executive Nominations Committees.
Wonderling hosted an annual charity event in Montgomery County called "Wonder Wing" which included a contest for the best chicken wing recipe in the area. Proceeds from this event support
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels is a programme that delivers meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programmes, not all of which are actually named ...
.
Wonderling resigned from his Senate seat on August 1, 2009, to become president of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
He was succeeded by fellow Republican
Bob Mensch
Robert Mensch (born August 27, 1945) is an American politician. A Republican, served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the 24th district from 2009 to 2022. He previously served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Repr ...
.
In 2010, ''Politics Magazine'' named him one of the most influential Republicans in Pennsylvania.
Wonderling has served on the board of trustees of
Ursinus College
Ursinus College is a private liberal arts college in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869 and occupies a 170-acre campus.
History
19th century
In 1867, members of the German Reformed Church began plans to establish a college w ...
since 2014. In January, 2017, he was named chair of the board.
References
External links
Pennsylvania State Senate - Robert C. Wonderling official PA Senate profile (archived)
Biographyat
Project Vote Smart
Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in si ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wonderling, Robert
Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators
Living people
Fels Institute of Government alumni
Allegheny College alumni
People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
1961 births