Matthew Leonard ’11

From the Capitol to the Borough: Matthew Leonard ’11 on Law, Policy, and Public Service

Matthew Leonard ’11 understands public service from nearly every angle: as a Senate staffer, a government lawyer, a communications strategist, an energy policy advocate and now an elected official in his own hometown. Across each chapter of his career, one thing has stayed consistent: he has been drawn to helping people navigate the systems that shape their daily lives.

Today, Leonard serves as manager of government and regulatory affairs for the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association and Allegheny Electric Cooperative. In that role, he works with lawmakers and regulators at both the state and federal levels, helping shape policy that affects electric cooperatives and the hundreds of thousands of rural consumers they serve.

For Leonard, the work sits squarely at the intersection of law, policy, and public service, a path that began taking shape long before he enrolled at Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

A Harrisburg native, Leonard grew up locally before heading to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. At first, he planned to pursue computer science, drawn by the school’s program. It didn’t take long, though, for him to realize his interests were pulling him in another direction.

“I discovered pretty quickly that computer science wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Leonard said with a laugh. “I switched over to sociology and political science with a focus on international relations, and that was a much better fit.”

While in college, Leonard volunteered on a campaign for the late U.S. Rep. John Murtha. The experience sparked a deeper interest in politics and government. After graduating, that interest soon turned into an opportunity when he was hired to work for former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

Working in Casey’s office placed Leonard directly in the world of federal policy and constituent service. At the same time, he knew he wanted to pursue a law degree, not necessarily to follow a traditional legal path, but to deepen his understanding of legislation and public policy.

Widener Law Commonwealth’s evening division made it possible.

“If it hadn’t been for the evening program, I wouldn’t be a lawyer today,” Leonard said. “I needed to work full-time to support myself, so that flexibility made all the difference.”

For four years, Leonard balanced a full-time job with evening classes while continuing to grow in Casey’s office. He eventually rose from constituent advocate to regional manager responsible for issues across south-central Pennsylvania. The work gave him a firsthand view of how federal policy decisions ripple through communities back home.

“You see the impact every day,” he said. “Small pieces of legislation or even a single word in a bill can make a huge difference once it reaches the local level.”

At Widener Law Commonwealth, Leonard focused on coursework that aligned closely with the work he was already doing. He participated in the Law & Government Institute and earned a certificate in constitutional and administrative law, areas that would later become central to his career in government relations and regulatory policy.

He also credits the practical training he received in legislative drafting as one of the most useful parts of his legal education.

“I still think about the drafting course I took,” he said. “Those skills have carried through my entire career. I use them regularly even today.”

Just as important were the professors who understood the demands placed on evening division students, balancing full-time careers. Leonard specifically recalls Professor Jill Family and Professor John Dernbach as faculty members who encouraged him and worked with him as he navigated a demanding schedule.

“I was upfront with my professors about what I was trying to do,” Leonard said. “I was working full-time and sometimes traveling for my job. They were incredibly supportive and willing to work with me so I could succeed.”

After graduating in 2011, Leonard remained with Casey’s office for several more years before deciding to explore another side of the legal profession. Although he had long imagined a career centered on policy rather than legal practice, he decided to try practicing law.

He joined the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel and was assigned to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, where he served as both assistant counsel and director of communications during the tenure of then–Attorney General Josh Shapiro as chair of the commission.

The dual role was unusual, but it allowed Leonard to draw on the full range of skills he had developed in government and law.

“It was definitely a unique experience,” Leonard said. “I was litigating administrative cases while also managing press events and media calls.”

Not long after, Leonard made another pivot, this time into the energy sector. He joined the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, where he has now spent nearly a decade in roles focused on government and regulatory affairs.
The organization represents electric cooperatives that provide power to rural communities across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Leonard’s work involves monitoring legislation, engaging with policymakers and helping shape regulatory decisions affecting the energy industry.

When he first entered the field, he did not have a background in energy policy. That quickly changed.
“For a long time the energy sector was kind of quiet,” he said. “Now it feels like it’s at the center of everything, whether it’s reliability, energy prices, data centers or infrastructure.”

Although Leonard is a registered lobbyist, he prefers to think of his work as education.

“My job is really to help elected officials understand who we are and what we do,” he said. “We represent electric cooperatives that serve hundreds of thousands of rural consumers, and we want to make sure we’re delivering reliable and affordable power.”

Leonard’s commitment to public service extends beyond his professional work. In 2024, he was elected to the Paxtang Borough Council, where he now serves as a councilperson and chairs the borough’s highway committee.
Serving in local government has given him a new perspective on leadership and responsibility.

“As a staffer, you advise elected officials,” Leonard said. “But when people vote for you, it changes the way you think about decisions and responsibility.”

For Leonard, the role is also an opportunity to give back to the community where he lives with his wife, Ann, and their daughters, Elise and Evangeline.

Looking back, Leonard says his law degree gave him the tools to work in spaces where law, policy and public service overlap.

“I’ve probably followed a more nontraditional path,” Leonard said. “But the law degree has been incredibly valuable. It gave me the tools to work on legislation, policy and regulatory issues in a way that I couldn’t have otherwise.”

One example stands out. Leonard helped draft legislation expanding broadband access for electric cooperatives, helping bring internet service to rural communities that had long gone without it.

“Because of that bill, there are thousands of people who now have internet access who didn’t before,” he said. “A lot of those are kids. That’s the kind of impact you can have.”

For students interested in government or policy work, Leonard encourages them to take initiative.

“Volunteer,” he said. “Find someone doing work you believe in and offer to help. In politics, if you show you’re willing to work and you have the ability, people will find a place for you.”

He also encourages students to think beyond titles and traditional markers of success.

“Don’t just ask what success looks like,” Leonard said. “Ask what happiness looks like. My kids don’t care what my LinkedIn says. They care that I’m home to read a book at night.”

For Leonard, that perspective has guided the choices he has made throughout his career.

“I could have taken other directions,” he said. “But I’m incredibly happy with the choices I made.”

Interview conducted in Spring 2026.