Senator Judy Schwank is a valued member of the PA Senate. She is recognized as a leader who can cross the partisan divide to get things done for the people of the 11th Senate District and all Pennsylvanians. Her achievements in government and nonprofit realms reflect Judy’s interest in and advocacy for sustainable growth and prosperity, both locally and statewide. A former Berks County Commissioner, Judy has always been committed to serving the people of Berks County. Her passion for promoting sustainable growth, prosperity, and preserving agricultural integrity has been exemplified through her many accomplishments in public service where she has dedicated most of her adult life.

After college, Judy worked as a Berks County horticultural agent for Penn State Cooperative Extension and established the Master Gardener Program. She became director of the Berks County Cooperative Extension Program in 1991 and was elected as the first female Berks County Commissioner in 2000. Judy’s interest in creating a sustainable Pennsylvania has drawn her to public service roles in both government and nonprofit arenas.

During her two terms as Berks County Commissioner, Judy played a leading role in achieving major upgrades and renovations at the Berks Heim nursing home, a needed resource for the county’s most vulnerable senior citizens. She was also a strong proponent of farmland preservation in the county.

Judy believes in community service. She has been a tutor for the United Way’s “Ready. Set. Read!” program at Glenside Elementary School in Reading for six years, and she helps to serve breakfast at Ontelaunee Grange on a monthly basis. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Kesher Zion Synagogue.

In the PA Senate, Judy is a member of the Democratic Caucus Leadership Team and serves as Minority Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. She was recently appointed as Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. 

Judy is a member of many committees in her role as Senator - notably Appropriations, Health and Human Services, Aging and Youth, Game and Fisheries. She is Senate Co-Chair of the Women’s Health Caucus and serves as a member of the Board of Governors for the PA State System of Higher Education.

Judy has been married to her husband Jim for 30 years and lives in Ruscombmanor Township. She has three adult children and five grandchildren.