Dauphin County Commissioners

Jeffrey T. Haste

After a long and distinguished career in state and county government as well as the private sector, Jeff Haste was appointed to the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners in December comm speeches 2002 by the County Court of Common Pleas, filling the unexpired term of the resigning John D. Payne. Voters then elected him to a full, four-year term in November 2003 and 2007; his fellow Commissioners chose him as their chairman in January 2004 and again in 2008.

Prior to his appointment, Haste served as the Director of Government Relations and Business Development for the consulting engineering firm of Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc. He has also served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly as a full-time state legislator for the 104th District. From 1988 to 1996, he served as Dauphin County's Administrator/Chief Clerk/ Personnel Director, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the county. He has also worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the state Senate, Republican State Committee and the Department of State.

Commissioner Haste graduated from Shippensburg University in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in Administration of Justice and Law Enforcement, serving all four years as class president and earning dean's list honors. He is a 1977 graduate of Lewistown Area High School.

He has served on the Pennsylvania State Optometry Board and the State Board of Pharmacy after earning appointments from Governor Tom Ridge. He was Chairman of the Susquehanna Township Recreation Board in 2001 and served on the township's Zoning Hearing Board. He is also active in the Boy Scouts, youth soccer and baseball and many other community and professional organizations. He received the "Friend of County Government Award" from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania in 1996 and was named one of the Jaycees' "1984 Outstanding Young Men of America."

Commissioner Haste oversees budgetary and finance matters, the prison, county buildings and grounds, parks and recreation, solid waste disposal, the Conservation District, Cooperative Extension, the General Authority, information technology, purchasing, safety and security, transportation, adult probation, and the Industrial Development Authority. comm - long

Dominic "Nick" DiFrancesco, II

Capping a lifetime of public service, Nick DiFrancesco was elected to the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners in November 2003 and 2007.

Prior to his election, DiFrancesco worked as the director of legislative services for the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers. He also served as a regional coordinator for the Republican Caucus of the state House of Representatives and as a field auditor for the state Auditor General.

In 1992, DiFrancesco was elected as the youngest council president of Highspire Borough, where his chief priorities included improving roadways and rehabilitating the municipal building and other public facilities. He was elected as a Lower Swatara Township Commissioner in 1996, serving as Chairman of the Lower Swatara Police Committee and as Secretary/Treasurer of the State Association of Township Commissioners. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Modern Transit Partnership. He is a youth advisor at his church and, for eight years, served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Company F, 104th Aviation Battalion at Fort Indiantown Gap.

DiFrancesco earned a bachelor of science degree in Public Service from the Pennsylvania State University. He and his wife Stefanie reside in Lower Swatara Township and are the proud parents of Nick and Elizabeth.

He serves as the oversight commissioner for emergency management, the hospital authority, the library system, veterans' affairs, domestic relations, Schaffner Center, juvenile probation, CREDC, the courts, voter registration and elections, the Planning Commission and Capital Area Transit.

George P. Hartwick, III

George P. Hartwick III was elected as a Dauphin County Commissioner in November 2003, after serving two successful terms as the mayor of Steelton Borough and acting as a catalyst for unprecedented revitalization, economic growth and an enhanced quality of life. He was the youngest mayor ever elected in the state of Pennsylvania, at the age of 24, at the time of his mayoral election. comm - checks

Now in his second term as the minority commissioner on the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners, Hartwick has primary oversight of the county's Human Services Department, Tax Assessment Office, Economic Development Office, Housing and Redevelopment, Weatherization, Personnel Department, the South Central Employment Corporation, and other initiatives. He has attracted international recognition to the county for its unprecedented Family Group Conferencing success, and his strong leadership style and proactive, results-oriented approach led to his selection for the prestigious "Government Leader of the Year" Award in 2006, along with his two fellow board members, by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC. They also received the "Helping Hand" Award from Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of the Capital Region, were awarded multiple "Waste Watchers" Awards from the state Department of Environmental Protection, and were named "Champions of Diversity" by the Institute for Cultural Partnerships. They have also received the Local Public Official of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Citizens for Better Libraries (PCBL), the Pennsylvania Library Association's Elected Official of the Year Award, and the Statewide Adoption Network's (SWAN) Collaboration Award, among other marks of recognition.

The board has been able to hold the line on taxes for the sixth year in a row through spending cuts, hands-on fiscal management, out-of-the-box thinking, a hiring freeze, teamwork, and the aggressive pursuit of alternate sources of revenue. They have led the way in implementing cutting-edge drug courts and mental health courts for offenders in need, emphasized drug treatment over costly agency advertising, reached out to faith-based organizations through his "R U Tired" series and other programs, and spearheaded Neighborhood Reporting Centers to rehabilitate troubled teens within the community as an alternative to institutionalization. Commissioner Hartwick has also consistently reached out to minority businesses, updated the county's affirmative action policy, and launched a Cultural Diversity Task Force, Diversity Forum and annual Multicultural Celebration Street Festival. He and his fellow commissioners have also dramatically increased recycling throughout the county, established a permanent e-cycling facility, and expanded the parks and recreational offerings in the county to improve the quality of life for everyone.

Commissioner Hartwick is a graduate of Steelton-Highspire High School, where he was a championship wrestler and student-athlete, and the Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a degree in Public Administration. A resident of Swatara Twp., he is the father of four daughters and a son.

*The Board of Commissioners is the legislative and administrative body of county government. Each commissioner is elected to a four-year term
*The Commissioners oversee the county's employees, the budget, and the administration of county programs
*The Board meets weekly on Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. to transact the county's business
*All citizens are welcome to attend the meetings