UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-171st District, will receive the 13th annual Friend of Penn State Legislative Award for the significant role he has played in the continued improvement of Penn State.
The 171st District includes parts of Centre and Mifflin counties.
“There is a certain sense of pride that comes with being part of Happy Valley and knowing that thousands of alumni and friends are representing Penn State in every corner of the globe,” said Benninghoff. “Whether they are researchers, farmers, nurses, welders or engineers, Penn Staters make a difference wherever they live and work. I am grateful to play a small role in their success and am humbled by this honor.”
Since 2006, the award has been presented annually by the Penn State Alumni Association. Benninghoff was named the 2018 award recipient by the Legislative Education and Advocacy Committee of Alumni Council, the governing body of the Penn State Alumni Association.
“Penn State is an important and irreplaceable cornerstone of both our local community and the Commonwealth as a whole,” said Benninghoff. “As I have throughout my career, I will continue to fight for state investment in the University, as well as its agricultural research and extension, Penn College of Technology, and cancer research. Most importantly, I will work to ensure that Penn State’s world-class education remains accessible and affordable for Pennsylvania students.”
In choosing Benninghoff to receive the award, committee members noted his leadership as chair of the House Republican Policy Committee and his outstanding support for Penn State over many years, in particular for state funding for the University, for its online education efforts, and for Penn State’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
“Representing part of Penn State’s University Park campus, Kerry Benninghoff has avidly supported the Commonwealth’s annual appropriation for Penn State,” said Andy Santacroce, chair of the Legislative Education and Advocacy Committee. “He has helped pass legislation that ensured the availability of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency grants to thousands of Penn State World Campus students, and has been a champion for the Penn State Cancer Institute and Penn State Children's Hospital.”
First elected to the House of Representatives in 1996, Benninghoff is a longtime advocate for government reform and fiscal responsibility. In November 2014, Benninghoff was selected by his colleagues to serve on the Republican leadership team as House Majority Policy Committee chair. The committee conducts statewide hearings on important issues in order to develop sound legislative policies and proposals to address those issues.
Before being elected as House Majority Policy Committee chair, Benninghoff served as chair of the House Majority Finance Committee, which oversees matters relating to taxation and fiscal policy, investment of the Commonwealth’s money, and regulations of the Department of Revenue. As a former hospital orderly and two-term Centre County coroner, Benninghoff has an interest in health care policies and has been an outspoken advocate for childhood cancer research. He is a founder and current chair of the Cancer Caucus.
Benninghoff resides in Bellefonte and is the father of five children.