Chuck Pennacchio, Executive Director

Chuck is history program director at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, founder of Citizen Solutions for Pennsylvania, and former United States Senate candidate (2006). A longtime advocate of publicly-financed, privately-provided universal healthcare, and organizing veteran of 34 years, Chuck lead-negotiated comprehensive health benefits for thousands of working graduate students while at the University of Colorado. A native of Delaware County, resident of Bucks County, husband of nearly 20 years and father of two school-age children, Chuck sees the state-level, single-payer healthcare question as the "tipping point" opportunity capable of triggering dramatic turnarounds on numerous fronts (social, economic, legal) and at all levels (local, national, and international).

David J. Steil, President

Dave has Over 35 years experience in manufacturing and distribution operations, sales and marketing, systems and methods development, business restructuring and "turnaround" strategy in senior management positions culminating in the acquisition and ownership of a manufacturing business. Dave has twenty-seven years experience in government, including township planning commission, township supervisor, and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1993 – 2009. Dave lives in Yardley, PA

Bob Mason, LCSW, Vice President

Bob is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and has been a health care worker for 40 years. He is a founding member of Pennsylvanians United for Single Payer Health Care (PUSH) and Health Care 4 All PA. He has been honored by the Graduate School of Social Work of the University of Pittsburgh as a Distinguished Alumnus and by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Bob is the father of two adult children who were quite distressed when he was priced out of the health insurance market when he turned 60 and spent 2 plus years uninsured. Bob notes that there is no right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" without the right to health care. Bob lives in Trafford, PA.

Walter Tsou, MD, MPH, Secretary

Walter is a nationally known consultant on public health and health care reform. Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches health policy at their Center for Public Health Initiatives. He was President of the American Public Health Association in 2005. He served as Health Commissioner of Philadelphia from April 2000 to February 2002. Prior to his appointment, he was the founding Deputy Director for Personal Health Services and Medical Director of the Montgomery County (PA) Health Department from 1991-2000.

He is a founding member of the National Board of Public Health Examiners and the national board of Physicians for a National Health Program. In 2006, he received the Public Health Recognition Award from the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. His medical degree is from the University of Pennsylvania; his MPH is from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, and he has an honorary Doctorate in Medical Sciences from Drexel University. Walter lives in Philadelphia.

Cindy Purvis, Treasurer

Cindy is a former small business owner and currently manager of a renewable energy company. She is past President of HealthCare4All PA, founding member of Lake Erie Alliance for Democracy, and currently serves on the Board of Erie Dance Conservatory. Cindy lives in Erie, PA.

Lani Frank currently serves on the board of Healthcare4AllPA and HealthCare4All PA Education Fund. Lani is a successful small business owner, previously owning a Physical Therapy private practice with her husband for 20 years, and currently owns and operates two frozen yogurt café's with her son in southeastern PA. Lani lives in Berwyn, PA.

Dwight Michael, MD is a family physician who has cared for patients from the cradle to the grave in Gettysburg, Pa. since 1985. He has been on the frontline of healthcare provision for all of those years and has experienced firsthand the many gross inefficiencies of our present broken healthcare system as a physician, patient, and business owner. He was born and raised a Republican and believes that peoples of all political persuasions should give our group’s vision of healthcare reform serious consideration before quickly discounting this vision because of rigidly held political ideologies.

Dwight gained his bachelor’s degree at Gettysburg College, M.D. from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine, and completed the family practice residency program at St. Margaret’s Memorial Hospital in the Pittsburgh, Pa. area. He is a board- certified family physician since 1985.

Jerry Policoff is a former Broadcast advertising sales executive and a lifelong progressive political activist. He grew up in New York City where he attended Bernard M. Baruch College. Jerry is also a freelance historian and investigative journalist. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, The Washington Star, Op-Ed News (where he is a front page contributor and editor), Village Voice, New Times Magazine, The Realist, Saturday Evening Post, and in three book anthologies. Jerry has served on the Board of Healthcare4ALLPA since its founding in 2005. Jerry lives in Lancaster, PA.

The Reverend Sandra L. Strauss (Sandy) joined the staff of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches as its Director of Public Advocacy in April 2004. The Director of Public Advocacy is a member of the Council’s executive staff with responsibilities to inform, educate, and empower people of faith on significant public issues and to coordinate and articulate public policy positions that reflect the Council’s constituent church bodies’ commitment to peace, justice, equality and compassion for all people.

Sandy received her Master of Divinity degree in May 2003 from Lancaster Theological Seminary and is ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She also holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy Studies from the Institute of Policy Sciences and Public Affairs, Duke University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Music from the Lindenwood Colleges (St. Charles, MO). She lives in Harrisburg.

Mike Stout was born in the Appalachian tobacco fields of Kentucky where he developed his voice as a politically-conscious singer/songwriter and community leader. Over a thirty-five year period, Stout has lead crusades against local and global economic injustice rallying people with his music and organizing them to take action. He began his musical career in New York City in 1968 playing his protest songs at Café Wha, the Bitter End, and the Gaslight. In 1977 he came to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and made his living as a steelworker at the infamous Homestead Works.

With the devastating closings of dozens of Western Pennsylvanian mills in the 1980's, Mike led the way in seeking aid for the thousands of displaced and disenfranchised steelworker families. Mike organized a benefit rock concert that drew the attention of CBS, NBC, the AP, UPI and the international press. With the funds raised by the concert several community food banks were established and they laid the foundation for the formation of the Great Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Mike also led the formation of other organizations that help the poor and now serves on the boards of Just Harvest, and the Steel Valley Authority.

Mike has recorded nine CDs in the last 10 years and has performed across the United States and Europe.

Mike was one of the founding members of Pennsylvanians United For Single-Payer Healthcare (PUSH) in 2004, HealthCare4All PA, and has been in the forefront in western PA in the fight for single- payer, universal healthcare.

Joanne Tosti-Vasey, Ph.D. is a community activist. She has been a member of the National Organization for Women (NOW) since 1979. She is currently President of Pennsylvania NOW, Inc., the Pennsylvania NOW Education Fund, and Chair of the Pennsylvania NOW PAC. Dr. Tosti-Vasey previously served in a national capacity for NOW as a member of the National NOW Board of Directors and as the Chair of NOW’s Disability Rights Committee.

She is one of two co-authors of both the 2004 and 2009 Status of Women in Pennsylvania Report that were authorized by the PA Commission for Women. Joanne lives in Bellefonte, PA.

Arno Vosk, MD is an emergency physician who practiced in New York, Washington State and Pennsylvania before retiring in 2003. He has been active in international emergency medicine and was a member of the faculty of Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. In addition to his work with HealthCare4AllPA, he serves as an examiner for Physicians for Human Rights Asylum Network. Arno lives near Williamsport.