Samuel Denisco

Sam has over two decades of experience in government and public affairs. He provides comprehensive advocacy and government relations services to clients in Harrisburg and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies, Sam was the vice president of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. In this role, he oversaw the chamber’s lobbying, political, and communications operations – including grassroots organizing, coalition building, consultant management, and policy development. During his tenure, he also led the organization’s legal and amicus strategies and developed political independent expenditure efforts to help elect pro-business candidates to the state’s legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Focusing on tax policy, Sam played a central role in getting several state tax reforms enacted into law. His legislative victories include reforming the commonwealth’s tax appeals process and restructuring the state Board of Finance; moving the state to a single sales factor; repealing the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax; and increasing the cap on Net Operating Losses. As the chamber’s top tax lobbyist, Sam was a key architect of the historic tax reform package that was enacted as part of the 2022-23 state budget. The reform package included cutting Pennsylvania’s Corporate Net Income Tax rate in half and additional relief measures for small businesses in the commonwealth. He was also instrumental in securing the passage of Act 89 of 2013 – the comprehensive transportation funding package – and Act 17 of 2011 – joint and several liability reform.   

Additionally, Sam has extensive experience in the public sector. He served in executive capacities under the gubernatorial administrations of Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker, and Ed Rendell. Most recently, he served as the director of the Office of Legislative Affairs for the state Department of Revenue, where he was a member of the senior management team and legislative director for the administration. Prior to that, he was director of the Office of Legislative Affairs for the Pennsylvania Department of State, where he led Governor Rendell's Prescription for PA program relating to medical professional licensure. He also served as a member of then-Governor-elect Tom Corbett's health care policy committee and transition team for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and Office of Health Care Reform.

Sam graduated from the University of Scranton with a bachelor's degree in political science. He earned his JD from Widener University School of Law, where he was a Law and Government fellow.

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