{
    "image": "",
    "content": "<h1>Eugene A. DePasquale&nbsp;&rsquo;02</h1>\r\n<p><img src=\"irl://2497//\" alt=\"photo of Eugene A. DePasquale\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"300\" />With a master&rsquo;s degree in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh under his belt, Eugene A. DePasquale &rsquo;02 was working as the head of economic development in the City of York when he decided he wanted to add a law degree to his academic credentials.</p>\r\n<p>But he had to support his young family and couldn&rsquo;t devote himself to law school fulltime.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t afford to take three years off,&rdquo; recalls DePasquale. &ldquo;The flexibility was critical.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Widener University Commonwealth Law School&rsquo;s extended program, now known as the four-year program, allowed him to continue in his job while working toward his law degree.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;In addition to the master&rsquo;s, having a law degree was a critical step in advancing my career in doing &nbsp;something in the public interest,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>DePasquale praised Widener for teaching him how to think critically and applying legal principles in a practical way. &ldquo;It was a great experience, &ldquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>He said he appreciated the fact that faculty members recognized that students in the part time program were juggling many responsibilities at once.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;They knew there were going to be days when I was not at my best - not my A game - and that was ok,&rdquo; DePasquale said. &ldquo;This wasn&rsquo;t &lsquo;The Paper Chase,&rsquo;&rdquo; he said, referencing the 1973 classic film about a law school professor who berated his students.</p>\r\n<p>After a stint as deputy secretary in the Department of Environmental Protection, DePasquale made a successful run for the state House in 2006 and represented the City of York for two terms and before running for Auditor General. In 2012 he was elected Pennsylvania&rsquo;s 51<sup>st</sup> Auditor General.</p>\r\n<p>Now in his second term as Auditor General, DePasquale recently won the Democratic primary in the race for the 10th Congressional district.</p>\r\n<p>As he concludes his tenure as the state&rsquo;s fiscal watchdog, DePasquale says he is most proud of an audit that led to fixing Pennsylvania&rsquo;s child-abuse hotline where some 58,000 calls had gone unanswered; reducing the number of untested rape kits in Pennsylvania and across the nation; and recommending improvements in the state&rsquo;s response to the opioid crisis.</p>\r\n<p>Audits conducted under his watch have identified more than $1.05 billion in misspent or potentially recoverable state money, including in several major state institutions such as the Philadelphia School District and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.</p>\r\n<p>Although he is not a practicing attorney, DePasquale says learning the reasoning skills and developing the ability to understand legal and policy documents and draft legislation has served him well in government and elected office.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Widener taught me that words matter, where a comma is placed matters, and where there&rsquo;s room for interpretation of policy or not,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s where the law school training comes in.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>DePasquale lives in York County, with his wife, Tracey, and their two children. He also volunteers as a football and baseball coach in York.</p>\r\n<p><em>Interview was conducted in Summer 2020.</em></p>",
    "box_content": "<h5>WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY?<br /><br /></h5>\r\n<p><strong>Alumni Spotlight Contact</strong><br /><a href=\"mailto:cwalumni@widener.edu\">cwalumni@widener.edu</a></p>"
}