Carbon County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein, entering his 12th year as a county commissioner, has announced his candidacy for re-election on the Republican ticket.

Nothstein is a 1967 graduate of Lehighton Area High School and a 1981 graduate of Northampton Area Community College with an associate degree in applied science.He was previously employed by BOC Industrial Gases in Bethlehem for 23 years and was a shop steward for Teamsters union 773 before the plant closed in 1996.An active member of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP), he has been a member of the county governance committee since 2001 and is now a member of the Veterans Affairs Task Force, which was started in March of 2010. He is also a graduate of CCAP'S Academy of Excellence in county government.Nothstein was appointed by Governor Ed Rendell to serve as one of two county commissioners to the state E-911 Emergency Services Advisory Committee, having also served as chair of the wireless subcommittee Administration Task Force.A Vietnam era veteran of the United States Air Force, having served four years obtaining the rank of Staff Sergeant and is now a member of American Legion Post 314 and Vietnam Last Man's Club in Lehighton.Nothstein is an active volunteer firefighter with the Lehighton Fire Department for over 38 years, having served as Fire Chief for over seven years before resigning to become the Emergency Management Coordinator for Carbon County and is now a deputy EMA Coordinator, as well a Pennsylvania State Fire Academy Local Level instructor since 1981, having taught classes in Carbon County and surrounding counties.He was also a former Scoutmaster of Troop 48 in Lehighton, and is an Eagle Scout.Nothstein serves on many boards and authorities, the county Prison Board, Salary Board, Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health-Mental Retardation Jointer Board, County Railroad Commission, Retirement Board, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Carbon County Soil & Conservation Board, Emergency Food Shelter-Shepherd House Board, Partners for Progress, Leadership Steering Committee, Child & Family Collaborative Board Co-Chair, Interagency Council Member, Carbon County Safe Kids Coalition and Carbon County Republican Executive Committee.He is also a member of Mahoning Valley Volunteer Fire Company, Lehighton Lodge 621 F. &A.M. and Beaver Run Rod and Gun Club.Nothstein was also an EMT and served on the board of directors of the Lehighton Ambulance for over 15 years. He has also served on the MH/MR Advisory Board and was a representative on the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance.Nothstein is the son of Helen Nothstein and the late Sherwood Nothstein of Lehighton. He is married to the former Donna (Weaver) Mertz. He is the father of son Scott Nothstein and daughter Melissa, husband of Richard Arieta both of Lehighton.He is proud of the fact that one of his last campaign priorities of eliminating the occupational tax became a reality two years ago. Nothstein continues to work with other County Commissioners through CCAP for legislative change to improve local government including, Tax Fairness, Veterans Affairs issues, the rewrite of the current Real Estate Tax Laws and the elimination of Jury Commissioners just to name a few.Nothstein will be running with Tom J. Gerhard, son of former commissioner Tom C. Gerhard.