{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Michael M. Dawida | office = Member of the Allegheny County<br/>Board of Commissioners | term_start = January 1, 1996<ref name=CommishOath>{{cite news|last=Schmitz|first=Jon|title=Board plans swearing in, first meeting|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BedRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wG8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2594,69850&dq=allegheny+county+commissioners+sworn+in&hl=en|accessdate=December 30, 2011|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=January 1, 1996}}</ref> | term_end = December 31, 1999 | predecessor = Pete Flaherty | successor = Board Dissolved | state_senate2 = Pennsylvania | district2 = 43rd | term_start2 = January 3, 1989 | term_end2 = February 5, 1996<ref>{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = Pennsylvania Senate - 1995-1996| work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| publisher = Wilkes University | year =2004 | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/179S.pdf}}</ref> | constituency2 = Part of Allegheny County | predecessor2 = James Romanelli | successor2 = Jay Costa | state_house3 = Pennsylvania | district3 = 36th | term_start3 = January 4, 1983 | term_end3 = November 30, 1988 | constituency3 = Part of Allegheny County | predecessor3 = Robert Horgos | successor3 = Christopher McNally | state_house4 = Pennsylvania | district4 = 26th | term_start4 = January 2, 1979 | term_end4 = November 30, 1982 | constituency4 = Part of Allegheny County | predecessor4 = Charles Caputo | successor4 = Eugene Saloom | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|9|4}} | birth_place = UPMC Mercy<br/>Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | alma_mater = University of Pittsburgh<br/>Hamline University School of Law | occupation = | spouse = Audrey M. | children = Three | website = }} '''Michael M. Dawida''' (born September 4, 1949) is a former Allegheny County Commissioner, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the Pennsylvania State Senate.
==Education== A native of Carrick and a graduate of Carrick High School, he earned a history degree from University of Pittsburgh in 1971.<ref name=file>{{Cite news | title = The File on Democratic Hopeful Mike Dawida | newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| date = October 19, 1995 | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19951019&id=i1YNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p24DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5404,929686}}</ref> From 1969 until 1977, Dawida was a childcare worker, working especially with delinquent teens and drug addicts.<ref>[http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=ascead&cc=ascead&rgn=main&view=text&didno=US-PPiU-ais200002 Michael M. Dawida Papers Finding Aid], 1984-1995, AIS.2000.02, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh.</ref> In 1977, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Hamline University School of Law.<ref name=file />
==Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate== He represented the 26th and 36th legislative districts in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1979 to 1988.<ref>{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = House Members D | publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/D.html}}</ref> He represented the 43rd senatorial district in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1989 to 1996.<ref>{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = Senate Members D | publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/SD.html}}</ref>
==Allegheny County Commissioner== He was an Allegheny County Commissioner, alongside Bob Cranmer and Larry Dunn from 1996, until December 1999,<ref name=CommishGone>{{cite news|title=Lessons learned|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OIVIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5W8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6047,5350890&dq=allegheny+county+commissioner&hl=en|accessdate=December 30, 2011|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=December 29, 1999}}</ref> when the Board of Commissioners was replaced with a County Executive as part of Allegheny County's Home Rule Charter.<ref name=controller>{{Cite news| last = Brown| first = David| title = Dawida runs for controller| newspaper = Pittsburgh Tribune Review| date = January 29, 2007| url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_490795.html| access-date = December 16, 2009| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130131164044/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_490795.html| archive-date = January 31, 2013| url-status = dead}}</ref> Cranmer split with his Republican running mate Larry Dunn over major differences concerning the managing of the county government,<ref name="CommishGone"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D1sNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o28DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5496,9918000&dq=bob-cranmer+allegheny|title=County Coup targets Dunn|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=1997-08-14|accessdate=2012-08-29|via=Google News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19990107brian.asp|title=Cranmer, Dunn strengths vary|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=1999-01-07|accessdate=2012-08-29 | first=Brian | last=O'Neill}}</ref> and formed a close governing alliance with Democrat commissioner Dawida. During their administration Mike Dawida and Bob Cranmer oversaw the rehabilitation and restoration of the famed Henry Hobson Richardson Allegheny County Jail designed in the late 1800s. The vacant and deteriorating structure was converted to house the new combined home of the juvenile and adult family sections of Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. The $46 million spent on the renovation project was nearly 23 times the original cost of both of the Richardsonian Romanesque masterpieces, the jail and county courthouse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20001010juvenile4.asp|title= Old county jail reborn with new look and mission |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=2000-10-10|accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-buildings-to-see-on-foot-in-the-burgh/|title= Allegheny County Courthouse and [former] Jail, 1883-1888 |publisher=CBS Pittsburgh|date=2010-11-05|accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref>
Cranmer and Mike Dawida worked cooperatively to achieve their city-county goals, and as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette put it: "The partnership held strong through decisions that got county government back on track." <ref name="CommishGone"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.postgazette.com/regionstate/19980320bmurphy3.asp|title=Murphy doesn't appear, but is said to be warming to northern alignment | publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=1998-03-20|accessdate=2012-01-10}}</ref>
The combined leadership of Cranmer, Dawida, and Mayor Tom Murphy (Thomas J. Murphy, Jr.) led to a building boom in Pittsburgh dubbed "Renaissance III" that was a catalyst for how the city would be viewed a decade later when it was selected to host the 2009 G-20 summit, led by President Barack Obama.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/28/g20-pittsburgh-us-hosting_n_208735.html|title=G20 Pittsburgh: The Latest News And Analysis | publisher=Huffington Post|date=2009-09-23|accessdate=2012-06-21}}</ref><ref name="Editorial -- Renaissance III">{{cite news|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/forum/19980327bedren1.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828220426/http://old.post-gazette.com/forum/19980327bedren1.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 28, 2013|title=Editorial -- Renaissance III | publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=1998-03-27|accessdate=2012-06-21}}</ref> The Post-Gazette commented in 1998 that, "Allegheny County Commissioners Bob Cranmer and Mike Dawida understand the importance of a strong urban core and, through their partnership, have helped the mayor find ways to do what lesser leadership would considerable unthinkable...It is a meeting of such focused minds and willing spirits that stands to take Pittsburgh into a new era. Call it Renaissance III or call it just a better place to live, this is the blueprint of a renewable city that more people will be proud to call home."<ref name="Editorial -- Renaissance III"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2013/10/20/They-took-political-risks-that-paid-off-for-the-region/stories/201310200319|title= They took political risks that paid off for the region |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=October 20, 2013|accessdate=2013-10-24}}</ref>
In 1999 he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for County Executive, losing to Cyril Wecht, who subsequently lost to Republican Jim Roddey in the general election. He is a professor at California University of Pennsylvania.<ref name=controller />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawida, Michael}} Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Hamline University School of Law alumni Category:Allegheny County Council members (Pennsylvania) Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly