Speaker John M. Perzel Names Philadelphia Health Executive And Former Chairman of the State Ethics Commission Joseph W. Marshall To Pennsylvania State Gaming Control Board

HARRISBURG: Speaker of the House John M. Perzel (R-Philadelphia) today named Philadelphia businessman and former chairman of the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission Joseph W. "Chip" Marshall III as his appointee to the Pennsylvania State Gaming Control Board.

"Pennsylvania’s newest industry must be built on a foundation of integrity, honesty and accountability. With Chip Marshall serving on the State Gaming Control Board, the people of Pennsylvania can be assured that foundation is a strong one," Perzel said. "As a member and chairman of the State Ethics Commission, Chip has the experience needed for unbiased and fair decision-making."

Marshall is the first member of the board to be named.

"I am greatly honored to have been selected by Speaker Perzel to serve on the State Gaming Board," said Marshall who is the chairman and CEO of the Temple University Health System and former chairman of the State Ethics Commission. "From my years on the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, I’ve developed a belief that all of us have a duty to serve the public. Gaming is a major change for Pennsylvania, one that will provide a significant source of new revenue. With the addition of gaming comes many opportunities and challenges. I look forward to working with the other members of the board to ensure that the public interest is always in the forefront of our decisions."

The seven-member control board will be responsible for approving and overseeing the 14 slot licenses available in Pennsylvania. The legislation, signed into law earlier this month by Gov. Ed Rendell, authorizes up to 14 casino-type slot licenses, including seven racetrack licenses, five stand-alone or non-track facility licenses, and two licenses at resort hotels. Each of the 12 racetrack and stand-alone licenses would carry a one-time fee of $50 million, while the resort type would cost $5 million each. Licenses would need to be renewed annually following submission of updated qualifying information.

The gaming control board will be comprised of three gubernatorial appointees and four legislative appointees (one from each legislative caucus). Actions of the board to license applicants would require a qualified majority of the board -- the vote of one gubernatorial appointee and all four legislative appointees.

The Temple University Health System (TUHS) is a major provider of health care services for the Philadelphia region. The nonprofit network of five hospitals provides primary, secondary and tertiary health care services for approximately 61,000 inpatients and 500,000 outpatients a year. The Health System employs approximately 8,000 employees.

Prior to his appointment to the TUHS, Marshall served as chairman of the State Ethics Commission from 1988-1989 after serving as its vice chairman in 1987. The commission was created in 1978 to administer and enforce the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law. Based on the standard that public office is a public trust and any effort to realize personal financial gain through public office is a violation of that trust, the act is designed to strengthen the faith and confidence of the people of Pennsylvania in their government. It was established to administer and enforce the provisions of the Ethics Act and to give guidance regarding the standards under the act.

Marshall was the founding principal of the law firm Goldman and Marshall, P.C., Philadelphia, which had a national practice specializing in corporate health law. He also served as President of Managed Care Strategies, Inc., a health care consulting firm that provided a fully integrated set of business, marketing and contracting services to health care providers operating in the managed care delivery system.

He received his bachelor’s and law degrees from Temple University and has served as a member of Temple’s Board of Trustees for more than a decade. In addition, Marshall was a staff attorney for the Mid-Atlantic Legal Foundation.

As an appointee to the board Marshall will undergo a vetting process that includes criminal background check by the state police and he is banned from holding elected or political office and cannot accept a job with the gaming industry until one year after his term expires. As a legislative appointee to the board, Marshall will serve a two-year term and will not be able to serve more than three consecutive terms.