Lori Heiser
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April 20, 1928
Lori Heiser | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 29th district | |
| In office 1981–1982 | |
| Preceded by | Ronald Goebbel |
| Succeeded by | David Mayernik |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Loraine Mary Rams April 20, 1928 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | September 21, 2014 (aged 86) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Richard Heiser |
| Parent(s) | Michael and Helen Rams |
| Alma mater | Northern Illinois University |
| Occupation | state legislator, home economist, dietician, teacher |
Loraine M. Heiser (April 20, 1928 – September 21, 2014) was a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.[1] [2][3][4]
During the 1970s, she played a key role in the planning and opening of a crisis center for survivors of domestic violence in Pittsburgh's North Hills neighborhood.[5][6][7]
Born on April 20, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois as Loraine M. Rams, Lori Heiser was a daughter of Michael and Helen Rams.[8] A graduate of Carl Schurz High School, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University and, in 1949, became a home economics teacher in the Chicago public schools, and later worked as a hospital dietician.[9]
Political and government career
In 1975, Heiser served on a special committee formed to study the efficacy of the services offered by the North Hills School District's guidance department and recommend improvements. Findings by the committee included the need to improve the ratio of guidance counselors to students for North Hills, which had the least satisfactory ratio when compared to other school districts in the area, that guidance directors report to a director of guidance, rather than the current system of having them managed by individual building principals, that the district add more paraprofessionals to take over routine, administrative duties in order to free up guidance counselors to work with more students, and that guidance counselors do a better job of working with students not planning to attend college.[10]
The first woman to serve as president of the Ross Township Republican Committee,[11][12] Heiser co-chaired the Allegheny County Republican Leadership Training program, and was elected as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1976.[9]
In 1978, she chaired the gubernatorial campaign of Richard Thornburgh, and was also a candidate for the Allegheny County Home Rule Study Commission.[9]
Elected as a Republican to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1980, she represented Pennsylvania's 29th legislative district, and was appointed to the House Finance, State Government and Conservation committees.[13] She ran an unsuccessful campaign for reelection to the House in 1982.[9]
From 1985 through 1992, she served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Pennsylvania Securities Commission.[9][14]
Awards and other honors
In 1987, the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh presented Heiser with its Government Public Service Award for leadership.[14]