Born and raised in Bethlehem Township, Anna Thomas grew up in a family of immigrants from Malaysia and India. She was shaped by her family’s Christian faith, devotion to serving others, and emphasis on contributing to our Lehigh Valley community. Anna is running for State Representative to ensure thriving communities and high quality of life for Lehigh Valley residents.
Lifelong Commitment to Lehigh Valley
From her teenage years to now, Anna has been giving back to the area. In high school, she was invited to serve as the student representative to the Bethlehem Area School Board. This exposure showed her the critical needs of our schools and laid the foundation for her staunch commitment to fully funding public education. After graduating from Freedom High School, Anna received her degree in chemistry from Wellesley College, where she was on the NCAA rowing team. She went on to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the University of Pennsylvania and has continued her work in public service by partnering with government and community groups focused on public safety and climate change.
Track Record of Tackling Complex Community Needs
While earning her MPA, Anna completed her thesis in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department in support of their Crime Prevention and Violence Reduction Plan. While at Penn, she also participated in a climate fellowship and completed a capstone project on carbon capture, researching the expansion of American energy production while still reducing environmental impact. Anna knows that communities have complex issues and is ready to fight for sensible solutions that balance individual, community, economic, and environmental needs.
People Over Party
Anna is running for State Representative because she wants government policy to be driven by common sense and fairness. As your representative, she will focus on helping all people in the Lehigh Valley regardless of where they live or who they voted for. Good ideas come from both Republicans and Democrats, and Anna will serve the people of Pennsylvania, not the agenda of any political party or special interest group.