The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (or "Secretary of State") administers the Pennsylvania Department of State

Pennsylvania Department of State

The Pennsylvania Department of State is a cabinet-level agency in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The department is headed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.Among the areas of responsibility are:*Campaign finance reporting*Charities...

 of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 (officially, "Commonwealth

Commonwealth (United States)

Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia....

") of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. The Department protects the public's health

Health

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...

, safety

Safety

Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...

 and welfare

Welfare

Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...

 by licensing more than one million business, health and real estate professionals; maintaining registration and financial information for thousands of charities soliciting contributions from Pennsylvanians; overseeing Pennsylvania's electoral process; maintaining corporate filings; and sanctioning professional boxing

Professional Boxing

Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...

, kick-boxing

Kickboxing

Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....

 and wrestling

Wrestling

Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...

 in the Commonwealth.

By statute, the Secretary is a member of the following Boards and Commissions:

• Chairman of the Pennsylvania Election Reform Task Force
• Chairman of the Navigation Commission for the Delaware River and its Navigable Tributaries
• The Board of Finance and Revenue
• The Board of Property
• The Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Board
• The State Athletic Commission
• The Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness
• The Lobbying Disclosure Regulations Committee

The Secretary is the keeper of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth

Seal of Pennsylvania

The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the state seal for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Unlike most state seals, it has an obverse and a reverse.-Description:...

 and has the duty of authenticating government documents through the seal's use. The Secretary is also the Commonwealth's Chief Election Official.

The current Secretary of the Commonwealth is Carol Aichele

Carol Aichele

Carol Aichele is an American politician and teacher. She currently serves as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.-Teaching career and early political involvement:...

.

Structure of the Department of State

The Pennsylvania Department of State consists of six bureaus:

• Bureau of Charitable Organizations
• Bureau of Finance and Operations
• Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation
• Corporation Bureau
• Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs
• Bureau of Commissions, Elections, and Legislation
• State Athletic Commission

External links

• Pennsylvania Department of State Homepage
  • Organization Chart of the PA Dept. of State
  • History of the Pennsylvania Department of State & the Secretary of the Commonwealth official legal and political history of the office and the department.