Apr 15, 2015 3 min read

A Washington County native who once served as a state legislator has been named Gov. Tom Wolf’s adviser on energy and advanced manufacturing issues.

David Sweet will act as deputy secretary for the Department of Community and Economic Development and report directly to the governor.

“Today is my last day,” said Sweet, 66, in a phone interview Wednesday from the law firm Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney in Harrisburg. “I’m sitting here with packed boxes and walls stripped bare.”

Sweet, who has been an attorney and lobbyist, said his role will not be solely focused on energy, as was his predecessor’s work under former Gov. Tom Corbett.

“There are plenty of energy experts and advanced manufacturing experts,” Sweet said. “I’m not being hired by Governor Wolf because I’m the smartest person on energy or advanced manufacturing in Pennsylvania,” he said. He explained he will work to push Wolf’s legislative agenda on energy and the economy to create jobs that are family-sustaining and reasonably high-paying.

He will begin his new job Monday.

Sweet was a state legislator from 1977 to 1988, when he ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer. He served as a campaign manager for former Gov. Ed Rendell and was executive director of Rendell’s transition team in 2002.

Jeffrey Sheridan, Wolf’s press secretary, wrote in a news release, “Gov. Wolf is a businessperson. He knows it is tough for new businesses to grow in Pennsylvania. His budget makes our corporate tax climate competitive and fair by immediately lowering our corporate net income tax rate by 40 percent to 5.99 percent in the first year and ultimately by 50 percent to 4.99 percent, finally zeroing out the capital stock and franchise tax after 15 years and closing corporate tax loopholes to level the playing field for all businesses.

“The governor also knows that Pennsylvania can and should be an energy leader and we must take full and responsible advantage of our rich Marcellus Shale resources. We need to partner with the industry and make Pennsylvania a leader in energy manufacturing and development. It is not enough to take it out of the ground and ship it to other markets. We need to build new businesses by using our natural gas as a feedstock as well as an energy resource. That way we will be a leader in exciting industries like biotech, materials, chemicals and life sciences.”

Sweet served as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and special counsel in financing projects totaling more than $3 billion in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and in counties throughout the state, including Washington and Greene, as well as in New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.

Sweet also served as bond counsel or special counsel for Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, Commonwealth Finance Authority and County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. His investment banking clients included PNC, Citigroup, the Bank of New York Mellon, RBC, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.