Mary Jo White, 83, who served more than a dozen years as the  Republican Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, passed away on February 21.

First elected to the Senate in 1996, she served the 21st Senatorial District, which consists of Clarion, Forest and Venango Counties, and parts of Butler, Erie and Warren Counties.

Sen. White's committee assignments included Appropriations, Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, and Public Health and Welfare and as Vice Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

She also served on the Wild Resource Conservation Fund, the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee, the Environmental Quality Board, and the PA Commission on Sentencing.

For the 2001-2002 Legislative Session, Sen. White was elected Caucus Administrator for the Republican Majority, becoming the first woman ever elected to a Senate Republican leadership position.

She held this position through the 2005-2006 Legislative Session.

Although part of every piece of environmental legislation passed in more than a decade, Sen. White lists her most significant accomplishments as--

-- Growing Greener Environmental Restoration Program, the largest single investment on restoring Pennsylvania’s environment in history;

-- Revisions to Pennsylvania’s deep mine safety law after the 2002 Quecreek Mine Rescue;

-- Marcellus Shale legislation-- Act 13-- adopting tougher environmental standards and a reasonable drilling impact fee which she said, “will be revered as one of the most progressive oil and gas acts in the nation;” and

-- Water Resources Planning legislation to inventory water resources throughout the Commonwealth and identify critical water areas.

She retired from the state Senate in 2012.

She began her career in public service as a public defender in Venango County from 1974 to 1976.

She then had a long career at Quaker State Oil Corp. starting in the law department but was promoted to Corporate Secretary and then to Vice President for Environmental and Governmental Affairs.

She retired from Quaker state in 1995 when it was leaving Oil City.

Click Here for her formal obituary [PDF of article].

Reactions

“Senator Mary Jo White was truly a class act.  As a person, she was affable, well informed and fun to be with. As a senator, she knew her district well and represented it skillfully,” said James M. Seif, former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.   “As Chair of the Environment and Energy Committee, she was energetic and knowledgeable about the complicated issues facing Pennsylvania. And she always faced those issues by starting with the facts. We need more Mary Jo Whites!”

“I first got to know Sen. White when she served on DEP’s  Solid Waste Advisory Committee before she began her service in the Senate,” said David E. Hess, former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.  “From the beginning she brought a practical approach to helping to solve environmental problems and continued to ask the tough questions as Chair of the Senate Committee.  I very much appreciated her support for precedent setting changes to environmental programs.  She never shied away from an issue.”

The PA Environmental Council issued this statement on the passing of Sen. White--

"Senator Mary Jo White, who served on PEC’s Board of Directors for a time before she entered the General Assembly, was a strong advocate for her constituents.

“We greatly valued working with her on everything from protection of French Creek and trail development opportunities in her district all the way to policy initiatives of state and even international significance such as the Growing Greener Program and Great Lakes Water Resources Protection Compact.

“Her thoughtful intellect will be greatly missed.”

Obituary

-- In Memoriam: Former Sen. Mary Jo White, Republican Chair Of The Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee  [PDF of Article]

NewsClips:

-- PennLive: Fmr State Senator Mary Jo White, Chair Of Environmental Committee, Dies 

-- Bradford Era: Former PA Senate, Chair Of Environmental Resources And Energy Committee Dies

[Posted: February 24, 2025]

3/3/2025