Our Speakers

Attorney General Dave Sunday

Attorney General Dave Sunday is a lifelong central Pennsylvanian, growing up in Cumberland and Dauphin counties. He attended Penn State University where he earned his undergraduate degree in Finance, and Widener University Commonwealth Law School where he earned his Juris Doctor degree.

Attorney General Dave Sunday enlisted in the Navy and was deployed to the Persian Gulf where he participated in Operation Desert Strike. He was also deployed to South America and conducted numerous counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean.

As a District Attorney, he led York County’s fight against the opioid epidemic, fought to protect seniors through his role on the Elder Abuse Task Force, worked to meet the challenges surrounding mental health, and personally tried approximately 50 felony jury trials to verdict including the successful prosecution of more than 10 of the most high profile York County murder trials in recent memory.

Attorney General Sunday and his wife have one son and reside in Spring Garden Township, York County.

Senator Cris Dush

Senator Cris Dush serves a quarter million people in the 25th Senate District, which is comprised of Cameron, Clinton, Elk, McKean, Potter and portions of Jefferson and Centre counties. 

As returning chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, his priorities include restoring election integrity, reducing government spending and overregulation, working to balance budgets and fighting against tax increases.

For the 2025-26 legislative session, Sen. Dush will again serve as vice chair of the Intergovernmental Operations Committee and as a member of five other committees: Appropriations, Game and Fisheries, Judiciary, Local Government and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness.

As the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 44, which was unanimously advanced and signed into law to ensure sexually exploited child human trafficking victims always have full access to necessary services and support, Sen. Dush is continuing to shepherd high-priority, bipartisan, anti-human trafficking initiatives during the 2025-26 legislative session. 

A retired law enforcement officer, Cris was also instrumental in securing dedicated state budget funding to establish the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section.

Prior to entering the Senate, Cris served for six years as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 66th Legislative District.

Senator Wayne Langerholc

Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. serves in the leadership position of Senate Majority Whip, acting as assistant floor leader, working to gain support for legislation and ensuring that Republican policies and strategies are maintained through the cooperative efforts of the majority caucus.

Langerholc previously served as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, where, among other developments, he led the bipartisan compromise to stop the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s initiative to impose tolls on interstate bridges. He successfully advocated for additional investments in the budget for PennDOT’s design and construction programs as well as the establishment of Airport Land Development Zones.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Langerholc served as an Assistant District Attorney in Cambria County, an attorney in private practice and as a Richland Township Supervisor.

Langerholc is a graduate of Richland High School, Juniata College and Widener University Commonwealth Law School. He lives in Richland Township with his wife, Cortney, and their three daughters.

President Jem Spectar

Jem Spectar is the President of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ), a position he has held since 2007. Previously, Spectar was Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor at Western Oregon University; Associate Provost and Professor at the University of Scranton; Director of Studies and Lecturer at Princeton University; and Assistant Dean and Associate Professor at the University of La Verne.

A thought leader focused on sustaining democracy through increased civic engagement, President Spectar is often an invited speaker at various forums, such as the National Constitution Center (Constitution Day 2022 | Naturalization Ceremony - YouTube). Furthermore, under Spectar's leadership, UPJ developed a unique American Democracy Scholar Certificate and is also partnering with regional K-12 schools in the American Civic Education Initiative and the popular Democracy Bowl competition.

In addition to scholarly publications and op-eds in various journals, Spectar is also the author of several books, including Movement + Music = Medicine and The Mind, the Medicineman, and the Dancer. He is also an avid gardener and has curated an extensive collection of world dance art.

Jem Spectar's academic background includes a Ph.D. and M.A. from Claremont Graduate University, a J.D. from the University of Maryland, an M.A. from George Washington University, an M.B.A. from Frostburg State, and a B.A. from the University of La Verne, CA.

Dr. Julie Wagner

Bio Coming Soon

Pastor Jim Gay

Pastor Jim Gay was born and raised in the Moxham area of Johnstown. He is a 1988 graduate of Johnstown High School and a 1994 graduate of Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he received a BA degree in Church Ministries, Evangelism. 

Upon completing his degree from ORU, Pastor Jim was hired to the pastoral staff at the Greater Johnstown Christian Fellowship in May 1994.  In 2000 he also accepted a call as the Campus Pastor of the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, a position which he held for 13 years. In October 2016, Pastor Jim transitioned into the role of Senior Pastor.

Pastor Jim, his wife Laura, and their son Jimmy reside in Richland.

Director Sidney McCoy

Sidney McCoy is the Director of Advocacy at Shared Hope International, a non-profit dedicated to preventing, restoring, and bringing justice for survivors of child and youth sex trafficking. Prior to joining Shared Hope, Sidney was Staff Attorney & Policy Counsel at Amara Legal Center, a non-profit that provides free legal services for those involved in commercial sex. Sidney also serves as Board President for the Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking (VCAHT), an alliance seeking to remove barriers to trafficking survivors by passing survivor-centered legislation, and her advocacy efforts resulted in the unanimous passage of affirmative defense and vacatur legislation in the Virginia General Assembly in 2021. 

Ms. McCoy holds her J.D. from Penn State Law School and is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. 

Jordan Pine

Jordan Pine is the Founder and CEO of Greenlight Operation. At a young age she became aware of the darkness of human trafficking, and since that time, her sights were set to put an end to modern-day slavery and support survivors in their healing so they could have lasting freedom. 

Jordan has her B.A. in Politics with a minor in Criminal Justice from Messiah College. She holds over a decade of experience in the anti-human trafficking movement, state policy, and nonprofit leadership. In 2018 she founded Greenlight Operation and, alongside her team, has since trained thousands of individuals about human trafficking, built strong partnerships with state and local law enforcement as well as state legislators, and opened the first restoration home for survivors of human trafficking in the Greater Harrisburg Area. Her life mission is to make the most of every opportunity to bring an end to human trafficking and restore survivors.

Joe Sweeney

Joseph Sweeney serves as the Founder/CEO of The Asservo Project. For over 25 years, Mr. Sweeney has devoted himself to serving his country and community as a former SWAT Operator, Bomb Squad Commander, and U.S government Explosive Security Specialist.  While serving overseas for Anti-Terrorism programs, he had conversations with colleagues about child kidnapping and human trafficking.  Once aware of the size and scope of this epidemic and the lack of effort to combat it, he felt he had to do something to help these people and, consequently, The Asservo Project was formed. We provide resources to assist Law Enforcement, conduct awareness seminars, and build relationships with global organizations.

Jimmy Hinton

 Jimmy Hinton is a native to the Somerset area. He grew up in Shanksville, where United 93 went down on 9/11. The Somerset Church of Christ is the congregation he grew up in.  He graduated from Harding University in Searcy, AR in 2001 with a B.A. in Bible and Religion and graduated from Harding School of Theology in Memphis, TN in May of 2007 with a Master of Divinity. Â Jimmy is the 2007 recipient of the Jack P. Lewis Ministry of Study Award. He began preaching at Somerset full time in June of 2009.

Jimmy married Natalie in 2005 and they are the proud parents of Eden, Cameron, and Isaac.