Since being elected to the legislature in 2000, state Rep. Jim Wansacz has been working aggressively to improve education, protect our environment and help provide access to affordable, quality health care for the residents of northeastern Pennsylvania. A highly motivated legislator with an ambitious agenda, it did not take long for Wansacz to gain the respect of his constituents and earn the reputation as a tough advocate for the people of his district.

Since taking office, Rep. Wansacz has sponsored legislation that would give communities a greater say in what comes into their area, supporting family businesses and properly funding our volunteer fire companies, and has also fought hard for an expansion of the PACE program to ensure that senior citizens receive the quality health care they deserve. Rep. Wansacz believes that by focusing on quality-of-life issues, all Pennsylvania residents will benefit from the work of the legislature. These issues include the environment, economic opportunity, education and health care. He believes in putting a special focus on legislation and initiatives that affect everyone who has children, those with special needs and our elderly. Rep. Wansacz is currently working on expanding the scope of health care, finding funding for a passenger rail to New York City, recreational opportunities and providing more choices of entertainment for the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

For the 2009-2010 legislative session, Rep. Wansacz has been appointed by Speaker Keith McCall to serve on the Chesapeake Bay Commission. The Commission serves as the legislative arm of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Wansacz's appointment to the Commission will allow him to be involved in all Bay Program policy and implementation decisions.

Prior to starting a career in public service, Rep. Wansacz graduated from Lakeland High School in 1990 and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1994. The son of former state Rep. John Wansacz and Mary Ann Presty Wansacz, he took a managerial position after graduation with his family business in Scott Township. He currently resides in Old Forge with his wife, Maria, and their daughter, Nadia Rose.