Congratulations, George!

That's my uncle!

Governor Edward G. Rendell today named George E. Cornelius, the immediate past president and chief executive officer of Arkema Inc., as secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development....

"As a life-long Pennsylvanian who has worked and been involved in businesses across the state, and who cares deeply about the future of this great commonwealth and its people, I am excited about the opportunity to help strengthen the state's competitiveness and facilitate the generation of 21st century jobs," said Cornelius. "Pennsylvania is well positioned to succeed in the hyper-competitive global marketplace, but it must be proactive if it is to be successful in preserving and attracting well-paying jobs."

As DCED secretary, Cornelius will continue to implement the key components of Governor Rendell's economic stimulus package, which has leveraged nearly $3 billion in state resources to attract $8.6 billion in additional investments -- far more than the state's original projection of $5 billion. Combined, these resources are supporting 2,800 job-producing projects throughout the commonwealth.