Gene Barr

Gene Barr is the Vice President of Government and Public Affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber. He directs all legislative and regulatory activity, ChamberPAC and external communications. During his career in Harrisburg, he has worked on a large number of significant legislative and regulatory efforts critical to PA’s business climate. Gene has almost thirty-five years of experience in various facets of government and public affairs activity as well as business operations. He worked for BP America (the U.S. subsidiary of British Petroleum) for over twelve years. His career included assignments in refining at the company’s Marcus Hook, PA refinery, retail marketing at the U.S. headquarters in Cleveland, OH, and in state government affairs in BP’s Atlanta, GA regional office where he had responsibility for all legislative activities in six states. In 1992, he joined the Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania, the state office of the American Petroleum Institute, as Associate Director. This office is responsible for all legislative, regulatory, and media activity affecting the major oil companies. In 1997, he was named Executive Director of APIP. In 2000, he joined the law firm of McNees Wallace Nurick, the largest Harrisburg-based law firm, to start a government relations practice. He established the practice at the firm and then worked briefly at Triad Strategies, one of Harrisburg’s largest lobbying firms, to help in the strategic alliance of McNees and Triad. He previously served as a local elected official in the Philadelphia area for almost ten years. He graduated from St. Joseph’s University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Gene joined the Pennsylvania Chamber in February of 2003. He is a registered lobbyist with the Pennsylvania Department of State. He has served as a board member and chair of the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board which oversees the operation of a $300 million fund. In 2001, he was named by then PA Governor Mark Schweiker to the board of Preservation Pennsylvania. In addition, Gene is a guest lecturer at the annual Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College and is a member of a number of historic preservation organizations. He is also a board member of the United Way of PA and the National Civil War Museum. Gene resides in Mechanicsburg with his wife and two daughters, Lauren and Morgan, and son, Ryan