Big political folks on new guv panel

Gov. Tom Corbett finally announced his "Advisory Council on Privatization and Innovation" that had been promised for formation this summer or fall, and there's some familiar names on the 24-member list.

The panel, which unlike his other commissions will not sunset, is directed "to explore if any functions now performed by state government might be better and more cost-effectively performed by the private sector," according to a news release. 

Some high-profile members will be major GOP fundraiser Bob Asher, Allegheny County GOP chairman/former county executve Jim Roddey, and former congresswoman and state senator Melissa Hart.

Other westerners on the list include Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney CEO Jack Barbour, University of Pittsburgh Executive Vice Chancellor Jerome Cochran, and Jones Day attorney Laura Ellswoth (who co-chaired Corbett's inaugural committee with Asher and was appointed by Corbett to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts). Also Dennis Yablonsky of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

The full list, from the administration press release, is after the jump:

Robert B. Asher, Gwynedd Valley

John A. Barbour (chair), Mars

Matthew J. Brouillette, Hershey

Peter N. Calcara, Mechanicsburg

Jerome Cochran, Pittsburgh

Laura E. Ellsworth, Sewickley

Gerald E. Feldman, Bradford Woods

Varsovia Fernandez, Ardmore

Charlie Gerow, Mechanicsburg

William P. Hankowsky, Philadelphia

Mark Hanna, Venetia

Melissa A. Hart, Bradford Woods

Raymond W. Hoover, Camp Hill

Richard G. Jewell, Grove City

James E. McErlane, Malvern

J. Paul McMillen, Camp Hill

John D. Moran Jr., Lewisburg

Jonathan H. Newman, Bryn Mawr

James C. Roddey, Oakmont

Sue Schick, Merion Station

Andrew J. Sordoni III, Forty Fort

Robert S. Walker, Lititz

Joseph P. Watkins, Philadelphia

Dennis Yablonsky, Presto