As released by the office of the Speaker:

HARRISBURG – House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson County) announced today his appointment of John McNally III, an attorney from Dauphin County, to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

“The focus of our caucus has been to legitimately help this new Pennsylvania industry grow in Pennsylvania through strict oversight,” Smith said. “Our interest is to look out for the Commonwealth and its citizens. Our appointments have personified this goal and John is no exception.”

According to Smith, McNally served as a co-chair of the Legislative Swearing-In Day Committee (along with former Gov. George Leader and Sil Lutkewitte), which was set up by the speaker to raise private dollars to help defray some of the costs associated with swearing-in day.

McNally is a partner in the Harrisburg law firm of Thomas, Thomas, and Hafer; he is a past president of the Dauphin County Bar Association. McNally was active in the Dauphin County and State Republican parties, serving as chairman and secretary respectively.

In 2011, John was appointed to the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, where he serves on the Council for the Workforce of Tomorrow. The board is responsible for providing policy guidance, direction and recommendations for improving the state’s workforce system.

McNally is a Penn State and Dickinson School of Law alumnus; he is married and a father of three.

“This appointment presents an interesting challenge, and I appreciate the trust and faith the speaker has put in me,” McNally said. “It will be my responsibility to look out for the interests of the Commonwealth and its citizens, and that is what I will be dedicated to each day.”

McNally will replace the speaker’s previous appointment, Gary Sojka, who just completed his third and final term on the board. He is a former Bucknell University president, biology professor and farmer.

“With his teaching and administrative background, Gary brought a much-needed, non-Harrisburg perspective to the Gaming Control Board,” Smith said. “Gary’s strong work ethic and values which helped him rise to the top of his field, ensured he would be an active member of the board, and Pennsylvania benefitted through his service and oversight.

“He deserves our thanks.”

By statute, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is made up of seven commissioners who are charged with overseeing the regulatory and legal framework of the gaming industry in the Commonwealth. Smith, as Speaker of the House, is responsible for the appointment of one of the seven commissioners.

Archive video of John McNally during his senate debate with Rob Teplitz.

Photo/Natalie Cake