Thiel College graduate Mark Nordenberg appointed chair of panel on state legislative districts

Posted May 04, 2021 Print

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Thiel College graduate and Trustee emeritus Mark A. Nordenberg, J.D. ’70 H’97 was appointed the chair by the State Supreme Court on Monday for a statewide panel that will draw legislative boundaries in the state.

The high court announced the appointment in a one-sentence order on Monday.

As the chair of the five-person Legislative Reapportionment Commission, Nordenberg will be the tie-breaking vote for the group that will draw and approve new state Senate and House districts prior to the 2022 elections based on the demographic changes found with the latest census data, which will be released later this year.

The Associated Press reported that leading Democrats and Republicans were supportive of Nordenberg’s appointment.

According to the AP, House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, called Nordenberg “well qualified” for the job, while Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, said Nordenberg has “extensive experience working through complex issues.”

According to Spotlight PA, the four legislative leaders on the panel were unable to agree on a fifth member to serve as mediator and tie-breaker, despite interviewing more than 30 candidates last week, which led to the high court naming a chair.

Nordenberg had been a professor of law and university administrator for nearly 40 years, including 18 years as the Chancellor for the University of Pittsburgh, which has approximately 34,000 students. He is chair of the university’s Institute of Politics. Nordenberg joined the Thiel College Board of Trustees in 1987 and served for 10 years.