Director
Steve not only serves on the Board of Directors of Choosing Integrity, Inc, he is also the President of the United Way of Pike County and an Advisory Council member of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Berks, Pike & Wayne Counties. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1979 from the University of Miami School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and History in 1974 from the Pennsylvania State University.
He started his legal career as an Associate to Attorney William C. Gumble, Paupack, Pennsylvania in June, 1979. He opened his own law firm in Hawley, Pennsylvania in January, 1984, with an emphasis on real estate, municipal law and civil and criminal litigation. He was a Pike County Public Defender in 1986 and 1987 and again in 1998 and 1999.
Later, he was conflict counsel for the Public Defender’s Office. He worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Pike County form July, 1982 to June, 1986 and from January, 1991 to February, 1998. He organized and headed the Child Abuse Task Force and handled all types of criminal cases, with an emphasis on child sexual and physical abuse. He also worked for a year in the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office and a year in the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. He has extensive criminal trial and appellate experience from the above positions.
From April, 1994 to December, 2015, he was the Custody and Divorce Mediator of Pike County. He was a Lecturer in State and Local Government from August, 1999 to 2000, and Criminal Law and Procedure from September, 1996 to 2000 at Marywood University, Scranton. He served as Assistant County Solicitor for Pike County from January, 2000 to December, 2003, representing Pike County Children and Youth Services. From 2002 to 2014 he was a Guardian Ad Litem in Pike County.
He retired from the active practice of law in 2015 and served as Pike County Commissioner from January, 2016 to December, 2021. He is professionally admitted to 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He was appointed by the Governor’s Office in 2020 to the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force. He obtained his Private Pilot License in 1969 and Commercial License and Instrument Rating in 1974 and is still an active pilot.
Steve has 3 children, Jeff, Sara and Jill. Jeff is an Accountant, Sara is an Attorney and Jill is a Librarian and Published Author. He is inspired by his 4 grandchildren Evan, Jake, Lucy and Tyson.