Your 2011 BCDC Endorsed Democratic Candidates

County Commissioner

Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, L.C.S.W.

Commissioner Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia was elected to the Bucks County Board of Commissioners in November 2007, and was sworn in on January 7, 2008. She is a lifelong resident of Bucks County and now resides in Middletown Township, where she served her community on both the Neshaminy School Board and the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors. Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia advocates for responsive government that supports healthy families. She has served as chairperson of the Youth Aid Panel, coordinator of the Teen Task Force, and is a member of the Neshaminy Suicide Task Force.Recognized as a fiscal watchdog, Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia will assure taxpayers that their dollars will be spent on achievable, visible results. Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, (Sociology, Criminal Justice), and earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Middletown.

County Commissioner

Det Ansinn

Det Ansinn is a graduate of Central Bucks West and Drexel University. Mr. Ansinn was elected to Doylestown Borough Council in 2005 and became Doylestown Borough Council President in 2008. In addition to his role as Council President, Mr. Ansinn is also Past President of the Bucks County Free Library and currently sits on the Bucks County Open Space Review Board. Mr. Ansinn has founded several successful technology companies creating well-paying jobs within our local community. He is currently the President of Brick Simple, a technology company speciallizing in mobile and web-based software development for mobile, staffing, industrial, as well as public safety and criminal justice applications. Mr. Ansinn and his family live in Doylestown.

Mary A. Whitesell

Clerk of Courts

Mary Whitesell is a certified Paralegal and holds an AAS in Legal Secretary. She who has provided administrative leadership to senior corporate officers, offices of corporate services, and general counsel. She has held responsibility for helping implement Total Quality Management (TQM) and ISO-9000 Certified work environments in multiple domestic and international cost centers. Her expertise includes the preparation of corporate records; various types of litigation and legal matters, the review and preparation of legal documents, and she has managed department financials and reporting. Ms. Whitesell lives with her family in Coopersburg and also holds a real estate license and is a notary public.

Donna M. Caracappa

Register of Wills

Donna Caracappa brings twenty-five years of municipal administrative and finance experience to the race for Registerr of Wills. She previously worked in the courthouse as Tax Administrator for the County of Bucks where she was responsible for the daily reconciliation of all Real Estate Tax Accounts and managed the county’s elected tax collectors. She is currently the elected tax collector in Penndel and previously was Penndel Borough’s Municipal Manager and Middletown Township’s Finance Director. She is also Branch Service Representative for the Police and Fire Federal Credit Union and a former Member of the Board of Directors of the Bucks County Employees’ Credit Union. Ms. Caracappa lives with her family in Penndel.

County Treasurer

Tom Kearns

Tom Kearns is a certified tax collector who served as Middletown Township Tax Collector from 2006-2009. Previously Mr. Kearns served as a Middletown Supervisor from 1983 until 1989, and was the board’s elected chair for 4 years. He also founded the Middletown Environmental Advisory Council, A graduate of West Chester University, Tom also holds a Masters degree in Public Administration. Mr. Kearns and his family reside in Langhorne.

Umar Farooq, MD, CMD

Coroner

Dr. Farooq is a board certified doctor of internal medicine and also a certified medical director. He is a primary care physician specializing in internal medicine with a private practice in Bensalem. Dr. Farooq is also a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science as well as Preceptor for Medical Students and Medical Residents at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He is a member of the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians. Dr. Farooq and his family live in Bensalem.

James McMaster

Common Pleas Court Judge

James McMaster is a Common Pleas Court Judge in Bucks County appointed by Gov. Rendell and confirmed by the PA Senate last fall to fill a vacancy on the Bucks County bench. Judge McMaster attended Assumption Elementary School in Feasterville and graduated from Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster in 1971. He received his B.A. from Penn State in 1974 and was awarded his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in Camden in 1977. He engaged in the private practice of law in Newtown, PA for 33 years prior to being appointed a Judge by Governor Rendell in October of 2010.

Previously he served as Solicitor for the Bensalem Township School District, Special Counsel for West Vincent Township, Solicitor for the Phoenixville Regional Planning Committee and Pennsylvania General Counsel for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. He handled legal work as outside counsel for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). He also represented many individuals and small businesses.

Judge McMaster served on the Lower Southampton Township Planning Commission in 1975 and was the elected Township Auditor for Lower Southampton Township from 1976 to 1979. He served on the Board of Directors of the Delaware Valley Regional Finance Authority for three years. He served on the Bensalem Township School Board for ten years including three terms as Board President. He served on the Board of the Bucks County Technical High School for eight years. He also served on the Board of the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit for six years including serving as Vice President for one year and President for four and a half years. He previously served as President of the Bensalem Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce.

Judge McMaster currently serves as the President of the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit Art Education Trust. He served on the Business Partners Advisory Board for the James Michener Art Museum in Doylestown from 2005 to 2010.

He is a member of the Bucks County, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bucks County Bar Association.

Judge David Wecht

Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Judge Wecht has served on the Court of Common Pleas since his nomination by the Governor and confirmation by the Senate in February 2003. He was “Highly Recommended” by the Allegheny County Bar Association and was elected to a full term in November 2003. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Wecht was twice elected as Allegheny County’s Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphan’s Court. In that capacity, Judge Wecht pioneered several innovations, including creation of a free will consultation program for seniors, and drafting of a state law that prevents accused murderers from controlling their victims’ estates. Judge Wecht is a 1984 Summa Laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale College and at the Yale Law School, he was selected as Notes Editor of the Yale Law Journal. After graduation served as Law Clerk to U.S. Circuit Judge George MacKinnon on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., and received the Award for Distinguished Service in that position. Judge Wecht practiced law with firms in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh until his appointment to the bench in February 2003. A frequent lecturer and author, Judge Wecht serves as Adjust Professor at Duquesne Law School, as a Master in the Inns of Court (Matrimonial), Pittsburgh Section, and on a number of civic and community boards, including the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Criminal Delinquency, and the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee of the Community College of Allegheny County.

Kathy Boockvar

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

Kathy Boockvar is currently Senior Attorney for the Advancement Project, engaged primarily in non-partisan election-related work. This has included statewide and national advocacy and collaboration with government officials, administrative agencies, organizations, coalitions, unions, and legislators, to ensure that voting rights and election administration laws are enforced fairly, effectively, and accurately, so that no eligible voter is wrongly disenfranchised.

For ten years she maintained a law practice in Eastern Pennsylvania, focusing primarily on Employment, Unemployment Compensation, Insurance, Pensions, Estate Planning, Social Security Disability, and Civil Rights. This practice included litigation before the U.S. Court of Appeals and U.S. District Courts, Commonwealth Court, and administrative agencies.

Previously she was a staff attorney for Lehigh Valley Legal Services, Inc., and for Northern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc. where she represented clients in Unemployment Compensation, Social Security Disability, Family Law, Protection from Abuse, Housing, Elder Law, Bankruptcy, and Juvenile Dependency matters including litigation in state trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies.

She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a law degree from American University. She resides in Doylestown Township with her family. Boockvar was endorsed by the Democratic State Committee earlier this month and was recommended by the PA Bar Association.