Speaker Samuel H. Smith begins his 13th term in the Pennsylvania House as one of its most tenured members.  Elected in 1986, Sam has never lost sight of the issues important to rural citizens and continues to be a strong advocate for this group of hard-working Pennsylvanians.  He was born and raised in Punxsutawney and represents all of Jefferson County and portions of Indiana and Armstrong counties.

Born in Punxsutawney in August 1955, Sam learned early the value of public service from his father, L. Eugene “Snuffy” Smith, who was elected to represent the 66th Legislative District in the General Assembly in 1963.  Sam grew up working in his dad’s tire shop and also helped his father by answering constituent calls and letters.   After graduating from Punxsutawney High School in 1973, Sam earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Penn State University in 1978. Following his graduation, Sam worked in the construction industry, as well as in sales, prior to making a decision to run for the House of Representatives.

Learn more on his Facebook page.

The hallmarks of Sam’s 24 years of public service have been his dedication to working hard to serve his constituents, listening to people’s viewpoints, putting himself in their shoes, and treating others with honesty and integrity.

Sam has focused on advancing issues important to his constituents, including job creation and retention. He is active in several community improvement organizations, including the Jefferson County Development Council and Route 119 Improvement Committee.  He has been a board member of the Jefferson & Clarion Counties Community Action, Inc. Agency since 1988.  Sam’s been a friend and avid supporter of local fire companies and emergency service providers. He has been honored by the Pennsylvania Ambulance Association for providing guidance and support to this group of dedicated citizens.

Well known for his leadership on conservation issues, Sam played a key role in securing major funding to clean up streams, improve local water and sewer services, and reclaim abandoned mines through the Growing Greener initiative that he authored in 1999. He currently serves as a member of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board.

An advocate of quality education, Sam is the author of legislation creating Accountability Block Grants that are now available to each school district in the Commonwealth to fund educational programs of the school’s choosing. He has also championed the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) that creates solid public-private partnerships throughout the state to improve education for kids. With an eye toward providing quality educational opportunities for students in rural areas, he serves on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Council of Trustees and the Punxsutawney College Trust.  He is a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of Punxsutawney.

Sam has been a member of House leadership since 2000 when his colleagues elected him Majority Whip.  Since then, he has served as both the Majority and Minority Republican leader.  In January 2011, he was elected to the position of Speaker of the House.

Sam and his wife Donna have two children, Alex and Zach, who are both in college.

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