Statement by Tom Ridge on the Passing of Former Pennsylvania Governor George Leader

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tom Ridge, 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania and the first Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, released the following statement today on the passing of former Pennsylvania Governor George Leader:

"George Leader believed that there was always an opportunity to help others, a notion that is evident in his decades-long service to the people of Pennsylvania.  As both a public servant and private citizen, Governor Leader nudged everyone from his neighbors to his fellow citizens to do more where more was needed and to do right where rights were lacking. He led by example and fought without reserve, achieving notable progress in civil rights, education, mental health services and prison reform. 

"We remember this good man for his optimism and persistence, his abiding faith in his Commonwealth and country, and we wish him peace. Michele and I send our thoughts and prayers to his family."

SOURCE Office of The Honorable Tom Ridge