Edward G. Rendell
Co-Chair, Immigration Task Force; Former Governor of Pennsylvania
Edward G. Rendell co-chairs BPC’s Immigration Task Force. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. He currently sits on several boards, is a Brookings fellow, and teaches government and politics courses at the University of Pennsylvania.
During the 2000 presidential election, Rendell served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. From 1992 to 2000, Rendell served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia. As mayor, he eliminated a crippling deficit, balanced the city’s budget, and generated five consecutive budget surpluses. Before serving as mayor, he was elected district attorney of Philadelphia for two terms from 1978 through 1985.
Rendell now serves as a consultant or board member for several green and alternative energy firms, including Own Energy, Element Partners, and Ocean Thermal Energy. He has also remained heavily involved in the campaign for government efficiency by working with entities such as Government Sourcing Solutions, Public Financial Management and Greenhill Advisors. He also recently penned his first book, A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great.
An Army veteran, he holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Villanova Law School.