In spite of the failure to reach a budget agreement, Governor Wolf soldiers on, making two executive appointments.
He appointed Rudy Battle as chairman of the State Athletic Commission and former U.S. Attorney David Barasch as Chairman of the Gaming Control Board this past Thursday.
One of three state athletic commissioners, Battle has served on the commission since 2008. Following his appointment by Gov. Ed Rendell, Gov. Tom Corbett re-appointed him.
He began his career as a professional referee in Pennsylvania in 1974 and in New Jersey in 1978. The International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Organization, the World Boxing Union, the World Boxing Association, and the World Boxing Council. He even refereed one of the largest monetary world championship fights in the history of boxing, Evander Holyfield vs George Foreman.
Having received recognitions from three of the world boxing bodies and been inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in November of 1998, Battle brings a great deal of experience and prestige to his new position.
As chairman of the State Athletic Commission, his primary job is to enhance public confidence in the officials and regulatory process as well as the conduct of public sports sanctioned by the Commission. In addition, Battle will be overseeing referees’ and judges’ practices to ensure the Commission is supporting only efficient and highly regulated sporting events.
“I welcome the opportunity to continue my service to the Commonwealth,” Battle said. “I am grateful and humbled by the governor’s appointment and the trust he has placed in me. It’s the honor of my life.”
In addition to Battle, Attorney David Barasch will bring knowledge and experience to his new position of Chairman of the Gaming Control Board.
“David Barasch has over 30 years of public service experience – from law enforcement to consumer protection to government,” Wolf said. “He would be an asset to any agency and I trust wholeheartedly that he will continue to serve Pennsylvanians with conviction as he has most of his adult life.”
Having served as U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Pennsylvania from 1993 to 2001, Barasch earned his office U.S. Department of Justice awards for their initiatives in the health care fraud, public corruption, environment injustice, securities fraud, and complex civil litigation fields.
Prior to his service as a U.S. attorney, Barasch served as Executive Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Following, he was the Consumer Advocate for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and served on Governor Robert Casey’s senior executive staff where he advised on all environmental, public utility, and insurance regulation matters.
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4 Responses
Wolf may be headed for some type of “Recycling” award !!!
As long as an “improvement to any environment” isn’t required !!!
You have the chronology wrong.
Before he was US Attorney (1993-2001), Barasch was the long-time PA Consumer Advocate (after having served in the office as an assistant) and then served for several years on Governor Casey’s senior staff (1990-93) before Pres. Clinton appointed him US Attorney. Barasch went into private practice after leaving the US Attorney position early in the Bush Administration.
After Barasch ran for AG in 2004 (losing the D primary to Jim Eisenhower) and thereafter continued in private practice, Gov. Rendell in 2008 appointed Barasch as Executive Deputy Secretary of Revenue under then-Secretary of Revenue Tom Wolf, where Barasch remained until leaving Commonwealth service early in the Corbett Administration. While with the Department of Revenue, Barasch focused much of his time on gaming matters and served as the Secretary of Revenue’s designee as a non-voting member of the PA Gaming Control Board.
Barasch is far far from the “mob wing” of the Democratic Party. No one has more integrity than Barasch.
OK, so the mob wing of the Democratic Party has been paid off.
Not a coincidence that boxing and gambling (have to laugh at that use of “gaming” to try to clean it up) are announced simultaneously.