[5] Schwank then worked as a Berks County horticultural agent with the Penn State Cooperative Extension for 19 years, during which time she established the Master Gardener Program.

[8] In 2004, she was appointed by Governor Ed Rendell as chair of the Pennsylvania State Planning Board.

[7] She later served as President and CEO of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, a statewide non-profit organization that promotes responsible land use and development.

[5] In January 2010, she was appointed Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Delaware Valley College.

[7] On December 27, 2010, longtime Democratic State Senator Michael O'Pake died from complications following heart surgery.