Gene Barr

Gene brings more than 50 years of experience in government and business operations to his role at GSL. He is the former President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and prior to being elected President in 2011, served the Chamber for more than eight years as Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. During his tenure, he has worked on many significant legislative and regulatory efforts that were critical to improving Pennsylvania’s business climate.

Prior to his service to the Chamber, Gene worked for BP America (the U.S. subsidiary of British Petroleum) for more than 12 years, including assignments in refining at the company’s Marcus Hook, PA, refinery; retail marketing at the U.S. headquarters in Cleveland, OH; and in state government affairs in the company’s Atlanta, GA, regional office, where he was responsible for all legislative activities across six states. In 1992, Barr joined the Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania, the state office of the American Petroleum Institute (API), as Associate Director. There he handled all legislative, regulatory, and media activity affecting major oil companies. He was named Executive Director of API in 1997.

Gene was appointed by Governor Ed Rendell as a member of the Stimulus Oversight Commission and to the Early Learning Investment Commission. He also served as a member of Governor Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. In 2019, Gene was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to co-chair the Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center.

A leader in a range of industry and community organizations, Gene has previously served as a Board Member and Chair of the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board and as a Board Member for United Way of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation. He is currently a member of both the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council and the Early Learning Investment Commission.

Gene is also former board member of the Council of State Chambers; former board member of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce and former member of its Committee of 100, Nominating and Governance Committee and Political Advocacy committee; and he is appointed by the Pennsylvania Speaker of the House as an Executive Committee member for PA 250, the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, the Bridge Educational Foundation, and is a former board member of the United Way of the Capital Region.

Gene served as a local elected official in the Philadelphia area for almost 10 years.

Affiliations

• Associated Petroleum Industries, Pennsylvania
  • Associate Director, 1992-1997
  • Executive Director, 1997-2000
• Bridge Educational Foundation, Board Member
• Council of State Chambers, former Board Member
• Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, Board Member
• National Civil War Museum, former Board Member and Board Chair
• Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, former Appointee of Mark Schweiker
• Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, former Member and Chair
• Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission
  • Emeritus Advisory Council, Member
• Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board, Past Chair and Board Member
• United Way of the Capital Region, former Board Member
• United Way of Pennsylvania, former Board Member
• United States Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, former Board Member
  • Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, Member
  • Nominating and Governance Committee, Member
• United States Semiquincentennial, Pennsylvania Commission, Executive Committee

Recognition

• Gene was ranked as ninth in 2022 and as tenth in 2021 on City & State Pennsylvania’s “Power 100” list of the key players in Pennsylvania’s political process. He has been recognized as “The Most Effective Association Lobbyist” by the Commonwealth Pennsylvania Legislative Services and was included in Pennlive/Patriot-News’ 2017 list of the 17 most influential people in Pennsylvania politics.

Education

• St. Joseph’s University, B.A.
• National Security Seminar at the U.S. Army War College, 2017, Certificate in Leadership Development