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Pedro A. Cortés
Pedro A. Cortés (born on May 28, 1966, in Carolina, Puerto Rico) is a former Democratic Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Cortés was nominated as secretary of state by Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Wolf on January 20, 2015, and confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in June 2015.[1] Cortés resigned from this position on October 11, 2017.[2] Cortés previously served as secretary under Governor Ed Rendell from 2003 to 2010.[3]
Biography
Cortés was the first Latino confirmed to a governor's cabinet in Pennsylvania. He was also the first Puerto Rican secretary of state in the United States, outside of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He resigned during his previous tenure as secretary of state on June 11, 2010, in order to become executive vice president of "Everyone Counts," a company that specializes in military and overseas voting technology.[4]
Prior to being appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth, Cortés served as executive director of the Governor of Pennsylvania’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs for three years beginning in March 2000. He has worked for the State Civil Service Commission, which develops and administers job-specific tests and creates listings of qualified candidates for agencies to use in hiring candidates into civil service-covered positions and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.[3][4]
Education
- B.A., in hotel, restaurant, and travel administration, University of Massachusetts Amherst (1989)
- J.D., Penn State University - Dickinson School of Law (1999)
- M.P.A., in public administration, Penn State University (2000)
- Certificate, Penn State University (2000) in public sector human resources management[5]
Honorary degrees
- Doctorate Degree honoris causa, King's College (2008)
- Doctorate Degree honoris causa, Harcum College (2009)
- Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law, Widener University School of Law (2010)[5]
Awards
- Leadership Award from Harrisburg Area Community College (2002)
- The Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Community Service - City of Harrisburg (2003)
- Latino Leadership Award from the Puerto Rican Cultural Alliance (2003)
- Elected 2004 Class Representative of Toll Fellowship Program sponsored by the Council of State Governments
- Citizen of the Year Award, Philadelphia Puerto Rican Festival (2004)
- Latin American Cultural Union Award (2004)
- Alumni Achievement Award from Penn State University (2004)
- Pride Award – Public Service Category from the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs (2004)
- Rev. William Howard Day Leadership Award from the Wesley Union Community Development Corporation (2005)
- Pennsylvania State University Alumni Fellow Award (2005)
- Public Policy Fellow from Franklin and Marshall College (2006)
- 2006 Center for Intercultural Leadership and Communication Award from Penn State Abington
- PHRC’s 50th Anniversary Outstanding Public Service in Promoting Equal Opportunity Award (2006)
- Outstanding Community Service Award from the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania Legal Education Fund (2006)
- Cornelius Award from the Arms Around Harrisburg – Day Spring Ministries (2006)
- Siembra Award from Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (2007)
- March Fong Eu Achievement Award from the National Notary Association (2007)
- Delaware Valley’s Mover & Shaker Award from the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress (2007)
- Excellence in Civic Engagement Award from the PA Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (2008)
- Siempre Boricua Award from the National Puerto Rican Coalition (2008)
- Philip J. McConnaughay Outstanding Achievement Award from the Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University (2009)
- Delaware Valley's Most Influential Latino Award from the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress (2009)[5]
- Torch of Global Enlightenment Award from the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg (2016).[6]
Political career
Secretary of State (2015-2017)
Cortés took office as Pennsylvania Secretary of State on January 20, 2015. He was confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in June 2015.[1] On October 11, 2017, a press release from the office of Gov. Tom Wolf announced that Cortés would resign effective immediately, to be replaced by deputy secretary of state Robert Torres on an interim basis. No reason for Cortés' resignation was provided, although an October 11 email released to the public on November 21, 2017, indicated that Cortés did not wish to leave his position as secretary.[7] The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that one month prior to Cortés' resignation, it was revealed that noncitizens residing in the state with legal permission were given the option to register to vote when applying for drivers licenses.[2] On October 4, 2017, state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R) sent a letter to Cortés requesting additional information on the allegation and the department's response.[8]
Secretary of State (2003 - 2010)
Cortés was appointed secretary of state in 2003 by Gov. Ed Rendell (D). He served in this role until 2010.[2]
Other roles
- Executive Director, Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs
- Inter-Agency Taskforce on Civil Tension
- Minority Confinement Subcommittee
- Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's Disproportionate
- Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
- Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Judicial System[5]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Cortés currently resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Lissett Lizardi-Cortés, and their daughter.[5]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Pedro Cortés Pennsylvania Secretary. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nick Field, Politics PA, "PA-Gov: Wolf Celebrates Cabinet Confirmations," June 3, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Inquirer, "Pedro Cortes, Pa. secretary of state, steps down," October 11, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Onward State, "Meet the six Penn Staters appointed to Tom Wolf's Cabinet," February 10, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 PA.gov, "Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth," accessed April 7, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Pennsylvania Department of State, "Secretary of the Commonwealth: Pedro A. Cortés," accessed September 2, 2015
- ↑ PR Newswire, "Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro Cortés is recipient of Torch of Global Enlightenment Award," May 18, 2016
- ↑ Philadelphia Business Journal, "Former Pa. Secretary of State Cortes forced out of job: Report," November 21, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus, "Metcalfe, Lawmakers Demand Immediate Answers from Cortés on Philly Non-Citizen Voter Registration," October 4, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Carol Aichele |
Pennsylvania Secretary of State 2015-2017 |
Succeeded by Robert Torres |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by C. Michael Weaver |
Pennsylvania Secretary of State 2003–2010 |
Succeeded by Basil L. Merenda |
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