Name: Jeff Sanders
Born: March 17, 1941; Washington, PA
Education: Towson U., B.A., 1966; U. of Texas at Austin, M.A., 1968; George Washington U., PhD., 1973
Occupation: Educator
Hometown: New Freedom, PA
Family: Wife, Pam; two children
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political Career: Southern York County School Board President, 1998-99; Southern York County School Board Director, 1995-98; Secretary, York County Democratic Party, 1998 - present

Jeff’s great-grandfather, Silas Sanders, fought with the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg

Jeff Sanders is a tenth-generation Pennsylvanian who has built a record of service in and out of the classroom from his passion for education at every level. Jeff has served as a president of a school board in Southern York County, co-founded a public/private education foundation to raise money for scholarships, and has taught at the university level for thirty-two years. Jeff has dedicated his life to the proposition that every student must enter school ready to learn and graduate ready to succeed so they can meet the challenges posed by the new economy.

The Sanders family

The son of working class parents in southwestern Pennsylvania, Jeff worked his way through college as a Teamster, understanding that diligence and fiscal discipline were keys to success. He put those principles into practice during his service on the school board when he spearheaded the construction of a multi-million dollar, state of the art elementary school that came in on-time and on-budget, while keeping the district’s property tax rate among the lowest in the county. Jeff realized then that party labels matter very little when everyone works together toward a common goal. In co-founding an education partnership with community leaders and businesses, Jeff implemented his view that government doesn’t exist to solve everyone’s problems. However, investing in programs that give people the tools they need to succeed on their own can work.

Jeff and his wife, Pam

Jeff and Pam, his wife of 35 years and a registered nurse, cared for her parents at home in their final years, and continue to care for Jeff’s 86-year-old mother. He understands the burden that the soaring expenses of long-term care and prescription drug coverage place on families. Jeff’s experience has also given him a unique perspective on the difficulties confronting working families today – and how Congress can help them – like paying for quality childcare, obtaining affordable health care, and finding a job that pays a living wage.