Over the seven years he has served as Pennsylvania's governor, Tom Ridge has made a name for himself as a moderate yet highly effective vehicle of change.
He is a Republican from the western part of the state -- a region not particularly in sync with its eastern counterpart -- but he still managed to forge close working ties with a pair of Democratic mayors in socially sequestered Philadelphia. He was a rising star in the G.O.P.'s national political scene, but reportedly rebuffed several offers for cabinet positions in favor of the job in Harrisburg to which he had already committed.
Today, Ridge will step away from the world of state politics and move on to Washington, where a far more serious task awaits him at the new Office of Homeland Security.
Ridge's move is an important and necessary one, and his political acumen and governmental experience should serve him well in the fight to rid the nation of terrorist threats. But as the nation benefits, the state will also be losing a capable and admired leader.
What's more, this university will be losing a long-time friend and advocate within our state government -- and with him, a crucial source of both funding and legislative support. As such, gaining the friendship of Pennsylvania's new governor should be an immediate priority of University administrators.
It is not clear yet how the state's new chief executive, current Lt. Gov. Mark Schweiker, will respond to the many challenges that await him. He is a relative newcomer to such a powerful position, and will soon be confronted with a number of crucial issues, like the decision on whether to privatize Philadelphia's ailing public school system.
We wish him best in the mighty challenges that await him over the next 15 months. And we hope to see him here in Philadelphia soon, confronting the many issues that face our city, and forging new relationships with the many constituents -- and friends -- he has on this campus.
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