Candidate for
State Representative; District 166

The people of Pennsylvania's 166th Legislative District first elected Greg Vitali to the House of Representatives in 1992. The first Democratic candidate to win this seat, Vitali is now seeking re-election for his ninth term.

Perhaps best known for his strong environmental advocacy, Vitali was the first Pennsylvania Legislator to introduce climate change legislation (H.R. 200 of 2001). Act 70 of 2008, whose origin was this resolution will, among other things, require the state to establish a climate change action plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Vitali was appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Committee created pursuant to Act 70. A promoter of renewable energy sources and the conservation of open space, he has won several prestigious awards including:

2008 PennEnvoirnment Environmental Champ PennFuture's 2002 Green Power Policymaker Award 2000 Pennsylvania League of Conservation Voters' Hero Award 1997 Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter State Legislator of the Year 1995 Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation's Conservation Legislator of the Year Another legislative priority has been openness and accountability in state governance. Vitali has led numerous campaign finance reform efforts, including the establishment of the first database of statewide campaign contributions accessible to the public via the internet. He oversaw this database independently until the state established its own site. He currently serves as one of 24 bipartisan members on the Speaker's Commission on Legislative Reform.

He authored the Gubernatorial Public Financing Act which would limit campaign contributions and provide public financing to gubernatorial candidates who accept spending limits. Vitali received the Common Cause of Pennsylvania Champion of Good Government Award in 1996.

In Harrisburg, Vitali serves on the House Appropriations Committee where he is Subcommittee Chairman for Fiscal Policy. He is also a member of the House Environmental Resources and Energy, Judiciary, and State Government Committees.

In his home district, Vitali was instrumental in Haverford Township's acquisition of the 209 acre Haverford State Hospital site. The Township purchased the property from the state with deed restrictions Vitali negotiated, insuring the conservation of open space. Vitali also secured state funding for mandated environmental studies at the former hospital site as well as grant dollars for Haverford Township to develop its own climate change action plan.

Vitali was born and raised in Haverford Township. He graduated from St. Joe's Prep in 1974 then went on to Villanova University. In 1978, he graduated cum laude from Villanova with a bachelor's degree in economics. Vitali earned his law degree from the Villanova School of Law in 1981, then opened his own law practice in Havertown where he worked for the next 11 years before his election to the state house. Vitali was Adjunct Faculty at Villanova University from 2000 to 2005.