Michael Dawida

Carrick High School graduate, State Representative, State Senator, Allegheny County Commissioner

I attended Concord Elementary School where some member of my family has attended since 1955. Worked with drug addicts & street gangs in Chicago, Pgh. & Minnesota where I attended Hamline Univ. School of Law. After graduating Law School in 1977 my wife Audrey & I returned to Pgh. where we bought a house on Overbrook Blvd. where we have lived for 30 years. I defeated the 20 year incumbent legislator of the 26th district Charles Caputo in 1978 & served 10 years in the Pa. State House of Representatives. I authored the State's Clean Indoor Act which was a momentous national issue regarding public smoking. In 1982 My district was gerrymandered so that only my home ward of Carrick remained in the legislative district. That meant having to run against another incumbent who held 82% of the district with Carrick being 18% of the new configuration. I was rewarded with incredible hometown support & thus Carrick became a part of the 36th legislative district where I remained until 1988 when I defeated the 20 year incumbent Senator James Romanelli for the 43 rd Senatorial seat. Among my successes were the passage of an Organ Donor law which became the model for all 50 states & 4 foreign countries. In 1995 I successfully defeated 28 year Commissioner Tom Forester & his longtime partner Pete Flaherty for the last term of the Commissioner System in Allegheny County. I now teach in the Masters program for Law & Public Policy for California University of Pa. & practice Law. Audrey raised our 3 children & together we were able to secure public & private resorces to save our Carrick library which was being considered for closure. She currently works as a teacher's aide at Martin Luther King School.--72.95.198.228 10:56, 18 November 2008 (PST)