David H. McCormick was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, and raised in Bloomsburg. The son of two lifelong teachers and prominent educators and the oldest of two boys, Dave was raised to understand the value of hard work. Growing up, Dave played football and wrestled, trimmed Christmas trees, delivered newspapers, and bused tables at the Magee Hotel.

Dave was nominated to the United States Military Academy by a Pennsylvania Senator, and became the first kid from Bloomsburg to attend West Point in decades. After graduating, Dave went on to serve in the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper. He was deployed to the Middle East during the First Gulf War and following his service in Iraq he retired as a Captain.

After the Army, Dave earned his Ph.D. in international relations from Princeton University before moving to Pittsburgh to start a career in business. He worked his way up to become the CEO of FreeMarkets, a successful tech startup that employed hundreds in Western Pennsylvania.

In 2005, Dave was called to service again, this time in the highest levels of government, including as Under Secretary of Treasury and as Deputy National Security Advisor. For four years, Dave spearheaded the fight to protect American technology from Chinese theft, advised the President on key national security issues, and helped negotiate the global response to the 2008 financial crisis.

Following the administration, Dave joined Bridgewater Associates, one of the largest, most successful investment firms in the world, which manages the pension plans of groups including teachers, firefighters and law enforcement. He served as CEO until he resigned to run for Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022.

Dave and his wife Dina are proud to support organizations that work with veterans and their families.

Senator McCormick is looking forward to using his unique leadership experiences over the last four decades to deliver results for the Keystone State. He isn’t afraid to stand up to both parties to do what’s right, and he’ll do whatever it takes to fix our broken economy and restore the American Dream for current and future generations of Pennsylvanians.

Mike Sommers is the 15th chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the largest trade association representing all aspects of America’s natural gas and oil industry.

Since his appointment in July 2018, Sommers has overseen the strategic realignment of API’s priorities and advocacy efforts, introducing an integrated organizational structure and core API Principles. Among other initiatives, he led the organization through an unprecedented period in global energy markets, effectively positioned the industry through political transitions in Washington and in state capitols across the country, increased utilization and visibility of API standards and safety programs, and led the adoption of the industry’s solutions-oriented efforts to address the risks of climate change.

Sommers is a regular contributor and thought leader on major cable news networks. In 2021, Fortune Magazine listed Sommers among its 50 World’s Greatest Leaders.

Previously, Sommers headed the American Investment Council, representing the nation’s leading private equity and growth capital firms and other business partners.

Throughout his career, Sommers has held critical leadership roles in the U.S. House of Representatives and at the White House, including as Chief of Staff for Speaker of the House John A. Boehner and Special Assistant to President George W. Bush at the National Economic Council.

Sommers is a native of Naperville, Ill., and a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is married to Jill Sommers, a former Commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). They have three children in college and live in Alexandria, Virginia.

Joseph Lai is a principal with BGR Group where he helps U.S. and international business leaders navigate complex and emerging issues in Washington.

Joseph served at the White House as special assistant to President Trump for legislative affairs from 2017 to 2019. In that capacity, he led the White House’s outreach to the Senate on economic issues including international trade and financial services matters. Joseph worked with Senate leaders to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and to confirm multiple appointees to the Cabinet, the Federal Reserve and the Supreme Court.

Prior to joining the White House, Joseph worked in the U.S. Senate for over a decade including serving as legislative director to Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Joseph also served as a policy advisor to Senators George Voinovich of Ohio and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. In the private sector, Joseph led international trade and defense policy coordination at the Aerospace Industries Association where he oversaw major international transactions for leading U.S. aerospace and defense companies.

A native of Burlingame, California, Joseph received his Master of Arts from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley. Joseph is a regent of the Fund for American Studies and a trustee of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. He is fluent in Cantonese Chinese.