As released by the Office of the Governor:
Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today announced that he will nominate Pennsylvania Superior Court President Judge Correale F. Stevens to fill the vacancy on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
In addition, Corbett will nominate three others to be commissioners of state agencies, including: Tim Holden to the Liquor Control Board, Sean Logan to the Turnpike Commission and Gladys M. Brown to the Public Utility Commission.
“These four individuals reflect the qualities and qualifications that transcend political labels and uniquely suit each one for the positions of public trust for which they have been selected,” Corbett said.
Nominations for the Supreme Court, Liquor Control Board and Turnpike Commission require a two-thirds vote in the state Senate. The Public Utility Commission requires a majority vote by the state Senate.
Corbett will submit the nominations to the state Senate on Friday.
Stevens, of Sugarloaf, Luzerne County, has served as president judge of the state Superior Court since 2011. He has been a member of the Superior Court since 1998.
A graduate of Penn State University and the Dickinson School of Law, Stevens served as a judge of Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, district attorney of Luzerne County, as well as serving four terms as a member of the House of Representatives and solicitor for Hazleton City and Hazleton Authority.
Stevens teaches criminal justice and government courses at Penn State-Hazleton, as well as continuing legal education for state and local bar associations. He has received numerous civic awards and was honored by the Dickinson Law School Alumni Association for his service in the judiciary.
The Supreme Court seat became vacant with the resignation of Joan Orie Melvin in May. Stevens, if confirmed, will serve until January 2016, with the election to fill the vacancy permanently taking place in November 2015.
Holden, of St. Clair, Schuylkill County, served 10 years in the U.S. Congress representing Berks and Schuylkill counties, as well as parts of Perry, Dauphin and Lebanon counties.
A graduate of Bloomsburg University, Holden worked as a probation officer, real estate agent and insurance broker before becoming sheriff of Schuylkill County for seven years, all prior to his election to Congress. During his tenure in Congress, Holden was a member of various agriculture, transportation and infrastructure committees.
Logan, of Monroeville, Allegheny County, is a former state senator and currently serves as the director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Monroeville.
Prior to joining the visitors bureau in 2013, Logan was vice president of community relations at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Logan also served as mayor of Monroeville.
During his tenure with the state Senate, representing Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, Logan served as minority chairman of the Law and Justice Committee and as a member of the Appropriations Committee.
Brown, of Harrisburg, has served with the Democratic caucus of the state Senate since 1991 and presently holds the position of deputy chief counsel.
After earning her bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Brown served as a law clerk to retired U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Simmons in the Western District of Pennsylvania. She has also served as assistant counsel for the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs in the Department of State.
Among her areas of legal experience, Brown has worked on public utility law, helping to draft major pieces of legislation, including electric competition, telephone and natural gas deregulation.