Roy C. Afflerbach (born February 6, 1945 in

Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: * Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California *Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County *Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Taz ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

) is an American

lobbyist In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

and former Pennsylvania State Senator and Representative. He was mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania, the third largest city in Pennsylvania, from 2002 to 2006. In December 2004, after a difficult year, Afflerbach announced that he would not run for another term.

Military and education

He is a graduate of

Emmaus High School Emmaus High School is a large public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. The school serves grades nine through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Emmaus High School is loc ...

Emmaus, Pennsylvania Emmaus ( ) is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 11,652. Emmaus is located in the Lehigh Valley, the third largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th largest metropolitan area in t ...

, and served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

from 1963 through 1967. Afflerbach later earned his BA from

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Highe ...

in 1972, and an MA in 1989.

Political career

State legislative career

Afflerbach is a Democrat and began his career in politics as a State Representative for the 131st district, a position he held from 1983 through 1986. He later served as a State Senator for the 16th district from 1987 through 1998.

Mayoral career

Afflerbach served as mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania from 2002 through 2006. His Deputy mayor was Democratic candidate in the 1997 mayoral election,

Martin Velazquez III Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands A ...

. His final year in office was mired in difficulty dealing with Allentown's city council. Some former supporters asked for his resignation, and he was blamed for nearly bungling a deal to bring a minor league baseball park to Allentown. He also was accused of making poorly timed inflammatory remarks.Post-Gazette.com
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Post-electoral career

After leaving office, Afflerbach started the Afflerbach Group, an Allentown-based lobbying firm. Among its causes are lobbying for an end to animal cruelty in Pennsylvania through

factory farming Intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production, also known by its opponents as factory farming and macro-farms, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production, whil ...

practices known as "common farming exemptions." Afflerbach spoke in late 2007 at a fundraiser sponsored by Hugs for Puppies, a group pushing for the ban of the sale of foie gras in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

References

External links

Biography
at Afflerbach Group * at Pennsylvania State Assembly {{DEFAULTSORT:Afflerbach, Roy C. 1945 births Living people 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Emmaus High School alumni Kutztown University of Pennsylvania alumni Pennsylvania lobbyists United States Air Force airmen Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators Mayors of Allentown, Pennsylvania