A former member of the Waynesburg University Board of Trustees is running for governor.

“To my eye, there was way too much talk and not enough action,” said Laura Ellsworth, who declared her candidacy for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania governor Oct. 10. “And that is on everything from the budget, to job creation, to education and to economic development.”

According to her campaign website, Ellsworth is the Partner-in-Charge of Global Community Service Initiatives at the international law firm Jones Day. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations including the Imani Christian Academy and the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics.

According to the Waynesburg University blog, Ellsworth received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letter degree from Waynesburg University in May 2014. She joined the university’s board of trustees in February 2015.

Waynesburg University President Douglas Lee commended Ellsworth’s service for the university.

“Laura Ellsworth has provided exemplary service in advancing the mission of the university as a member of the board of trustees,” said Lee. “She is a visionary leader with a heart for service who inspires and leads through word and deed.”

Ellsworth said the conviction to get things done motivated her to run for governor.

“Figuring out tough problems and coming up with a solution that I can actually deliver to them is what I’ve done my whole life.”

Using her experience in bolstering the community in western Pennsylvania to improve the whole state is something Ellsworth wants to do.

“I thought, ‘You know, if you could just take what we know and do here,’” said Ellsworth, “‘You could improve communities across Pennsylvania.’”

Ellsworth said the reason she became involved with Waynesburg University was her admiration for how the university linked education and service to the community.

“I was so captivated by its commitment to building a university community by having it integrally related to the service mentality,” said Ellsworth, “Which I think helps the students and helps the community all at one time in profound ways with tremendous efficiency.”

Ellsworth first learned about the university through a friend.

“I first became aware of the university when I met Larry Stratton,” said Ellsworth. “I thought he had such incredible spirit and light inside of him – I just was blown away.”

Dr. Larry Stratton is the university’s director of the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership.

“She and I had a good conversation about the Stover program, which increased her interest in Waynesburg,” said Stratton.

Ellsworth said that she and her partners were impressed by the students of the Stover program.

“And then Dr. Stratton introduced me to Doug Lee and to the rest of the administration and I was equally impressed by them, by their incredible commitment to education,” said Ellsworth.

Stratton said that Ellsworth has the skills to make a good governor.

“I think that her analytical and persuasion skills as an attorney coupled with her general sense of the common good would make her a phenomenal governor,” said Stratton.

To focus on her campaign, Ellsworth stepped down from the boards on which she has served. “This is a full-time job,” said Ellsworth. “I’m actually staying on with my law firm because I currently oversee global community service initiatives that we’re doing around the world.” Ellsworth stepped down from board service to respect the large dedication of time and effort being a board member is.

“I wanted Waynesburg and all of my other organizations to have someone who was worthy of the trust that is placed on every board member, to be really dedicated to the interests of the organization,” said Ellsworth. “Waynesburg deserves nothing less than that.”