The secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the head of the Pennsylvania Department of State, a cabinet-level agency. The secretary of the commonwealth (equivalent to "secretary of state") is appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the State Senate. The current secretary is Republican Al Schmidt, who was appointed by Governor Josh Shapiro.

Responsibilities The Pennsylvania Department of State protects the public's health, safety, and welfare by licensing more than one million business, health, and real estate professionals; maintaining registration and financial information for thousands of charities soliciting contributions from Pennsylvanians; overseeing Pennsylvania's electoral process; maintaining corporate filings; and sanctioning professional boxing, kick–boxing and wrestling in the commonwealth.

The secretary is the keeper of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth and authenticates government documents through the seal's use. The secretary is also the commonwealth's chief election official.

Structure of the Department of State The Pennsylvania Department of State consists of six bureaus: Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations Bureau of Finance and Operations Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs Bureau of Commissions, Elections, and Legislation State Athletic Commission

Boards and commissions Chairman of the Pennsylvania Election Reform Task Force Chairman of the Navigation Commission for the Delaware River and Its Navigable Tributaries The Board of Finance and Revenue The Board of Property The Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Board The State Athletic Commission The Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness The Lobbying Disclosure Regulations Committee

List of secretaries of the commonwealth Image Name Term Appointed byTimothy Matlack1777–1783Thomas Wharton Jr.John Armstrong, Jr.1783–1787John DickinsonCharles Biddle1787–1791Benjamin FranklinAlexander J. Dallas1791–1801Thomas MifflinThomas McKean Thompson1801–1808Thomas McKeanNathaniel B. Boileau1808–1817Simon SnyderThomas Sergeant1817–1819William FindlaySamuel D. Ingham1819–1820Andrew Gregg1820–1823Joseph HiesterMolton C. Rogers1823–1826John Andrew ShulzeIsaac D. Barnard1826–1827Calvin Blythe1827–1829Samuel McKean1829–1833George WolfJames Findley1833–1835Thomas Henry Burrowes1835–1839Joseph RitnerFrancis R. Shunk1839–1842David R. PorterAnson V. Parsons1842–1843Charles McClure1843–1845Jesse Miller1845–1848Francis R. ShunkTownsend Haines1848–1850William F. JohnstonAlexander L. Russel1850–1852Francis W. Hughes1852–1853William BiglerCharles A Black1853–1855Andrew Gregg Curtin1855–1858James PollockWilliam M. Heister1858–1861William F. PackerEli Slifer1861–1867Andrew Gregg CurtinFrancis Jordan1867–1873John W. GearyMatthew S. Quay1873–1878John F. HartranftJohn Blair Linn1878–1879Matthew S. Quay1879–1882Henry M. HoytFrancis Jordan1882–1883William S. Stenger1883–1887Robert E. PattisonCharles Warren Stone1887–1890James A. BeaverJacob H. Longnecker1890–1891William F. Harrity1891–1895Robert E. PattisonFrank Reeder1895–1897Daniel H. HastingsDavid Martin1897–1899William Walton Griest1899–1903William A. StoneFrank M. Fuller1903–1905Samuel W. PennypackerRobert B. McAfee1905–1915 Cyrus Woods 1915–1921 Martin Grove Brumbaugh Bernard J. Myers 1921–1923 William Cameron Sproul Clyde L. King 1923–1926 Gifford Pinchot E. H. Conarroe 1926–1927 Charles Johnson 1927–1929 John Stuchell Fisher Robert R. Lewis 1929–1930 James Walker 1930–1931 Richard J. Beamish 1931–1934 Gifford Pinchot John J. Owen 1934–1935 David L. Lawrence 1935–1939 George Earle Sophia O'Hara 1939–1943 Arthur James Charles M. Morrison 1943–1949 Edward Martin Gene D. Smith 1949–1955 James H. Duff James A. Finnegan 1955 Edward Martin Henry Harner 1955–1956 George M. Leader James A. Finnegan 1956–1958 John S. Rice 1958–1961 E. James Trimarchi 1961–1963 David L. Lawrence George I. Bloom 1963–1965 William Scranton W. Stuart Helm 1965–1967 Craig Truax 1967–1968 Raymond P. Shafer Joseph J. Kelley 1968–1971 C. Delores Tucker 1971–1977 Milton ShappJames D. Golden (acting)1977 Barton Fields 1977–1979 Ethel D. Allen 1979 Dick Thornburgh William R. Davis 1979–1985Richard E. Anderson1985 Robert A Gleason, Jr. 1985–1987 James J. Haggerty 1987–1989 Bob Casey Sr. Christopher A. Lewis 1989–1991 Brenda K. Mitchell 1992–1994 Robert N. Grant 1994–1995 Yvette Kane 1995–1998 Tom Ridge Kim Pizzingrilli 1999–2002 C. Michael Weaver 2002–2003 Mark Schweiker Pedro Cortés 2003–2010 Ed Rendell Basil L. Merenda 2010–2011 Carol Aichele 2011–2015 Tom Corbett Pedro Cortés 2015–2017 Tom WolfRobert Torres2017–2019 Kathy Boockvar 2019–2021Veronica Degraffenreid (acting)2021–2022Leigh M. Chapman (acting)2022–2023Al Schmidt2023–presentJosh Shapiro

See also List of company registers

Notes

References

External links

Pennsylvania Secretary of State, Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics