Biography
The people of Pennsylvania's 166th Legislative District
first elected Greg Vitali to the House of
Representatives in 1992. The first Democratic
candidate to win this seat, Vitali was re-elected to his
ninth term in 2008.
Perhaps best known for his strong environmental advocacy, Vitali was the first Pennsylvania Legislator to introduce climate change legislation (H.R. 200 of 2001). Act 70 of 2008, whose origin was this resolution will, among other things, require the state to establish a climate change action plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Vitali was appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Committee created pursuant to Act 70.
A promoter of renewable energy sources and the conservation of open space, he has won
several prestigious awards including:
- 2009 PennFuture Green Power Hero
- 2008 PennEnvoirnment Environmental Champ
- PennFuture's 2002 Green Power Policymaker
Award
- 2000 Pennsylvania League of Conservation
Voters' Hero Award
- 1997 Sierra Club
Pennsylvania Chapter State Legislator of the Year
- 1995
Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation's Conservation
Legislator of the Year
During his tenure in the Legislature Vitali has consistently been at the cutting edge of governmental reform issues. He has fought to ban legislative initiative grants, require competitive bidding of state bond contracts, require campaign finance data be accessible via the internet, provide public financing for gubernatorial elections, ban tax dollars for public service announcements by legislators and the prohibit legislative nonprofit corporations.
In 2007 he was appointed to the Speaker's Commission on Legislative Reform. In 1996 Vitali received the Common Cause of Pennsylvania Champion of Good Government Award.
In Harrisburg, Vitali serves on the House Appropriations Committee where he is Subcommittee Chairman for Fiscal Policy. He is also a member of the House Environmental Resources and Energy, Judiciary, and State Government Committees.
In his home district, Vitali was instrumental in Haverford Township's acquisition of the 209 acre Haverford State Hospital site and the preservation of large portions of the that site for recreation and open space. He also secured state funding for the planning and construction of an indoor recreational facility there.
A world traveler, Vitali has toured Russia, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Israel, India, and the Czech Republic as well as much of Western Europe. In 1983 Vitali rode his bicycle across the United States.
An avid distance runner, Vitali has completed 12 marathons including the 1980 Boston Marathon and the 2005 Prague International Marathon. He competes regularly in local foot races.
Vitali was born and raised in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He attended Sacred Heart Grade School and St. Joseph’s College Preparatory School. In 1978, he graduated cum laude from Villanova with a bachelor's degree in economics. Vitali earned his law degree from the Villanova in 1981, then opened his own law practice in Havertown where he worked for the next 11 years before his election to the state house. Vitali was Adjunct Faculty at Villanova University from 2000 to 2005.
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