Christine Toretti

Last updated
Lute Olson
​
​
(m. 2003;div. 2007)​
Christine Toretti
Christine Toretti.jpg
Toretti in 2014
Republican National Committeewoman from Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 21, 1997
ServingwithAndy Reilly
Children3

Christine Jack Toretti (born February 24, 1957) is an American politician, businesswoman, philanthropist, 2016 U.S. presidential elector, and Pennsylvania's Republican National Committeewoman.

Contents

Business career

Toretti is the chair and CEO of S.W. Jack Drilling Co., a privately held land-based drilling company in the United States. [1] As of 2005, it is the nineteenth largest contract drilling company in terms of total footage drilled. [2] The company, founded in 1918 by Toretti's grandfather, is headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania and has regional offices in Buckhannon and Charleston, West Virginia. [3] [4] The S.W. Jack Company supports oil and gas exploration in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and New York. [4]

Toretti assumed control of the company in 1990, upon the unexpected death of her father, Samuel W. Jack Jr. [5] [6] Prior to that, she served as CFO. [6] She is noted as a rare female CEO in the male-dominated energy industry. [7] The company had 92 employees and $5 million in annual revenue in 1990. [3]

In 1995, Toretti expanded the company significantly when she led the purchase and merger with another drilling company. She relinquished day-to-day operations in 1997. [3] The company currently has 350 employees and $60 million in annual revenue. [3]

From 2004 to 2010, S.W. Jack Drilling donated more than $150,000 to then Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett. [8]

Political career

Toretti founded the Anne Anstine Excellence in Public Service Series, a training program specifically designed to educate, empower, and advance Republican women. [9]

Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge appointed Toretti to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education in 1995, where she helped reorganize the organization's investments in higher education. [9] [10] Former Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker appointed her to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. President George W. Bush appointed her to the Rural Telephone Bank, the National Petroleum Council and to the advisory board for the U.S. Secretary of Energy [9]

On August 21, 1997, Toretti was elected to serve as the Republican National Committeewomen for Pennsylvania. [10] She served on the RNC Committee on Arrangements for the 2000 Republican National Convention. She was involved in George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign, one of the first Pennsylvania Republicans to endorse the then-Texas Governor. [11] In 2001, she was named to the PoliticsPA list of "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women" [12]

In 2002, she was named to the PoliticsPA "Power 50" list of politically influential personalities. [13] In 2003, the Pennsylvania Report named her to "The Pennsylvania Report Power 75" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics. [14] In 2010, Politics Magazine named her one of the most influential Pennsylvania Republicans. [15]

In 2006, Toretti chaired Lynn Swann's 2006 Pennsylvania gubernatorial campaign. [1]

On May 18, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Toretti to become the U.S. Ambassador to Malta. [16] However, the U.S. Senate never confirmed Toretti, and returned her nomination in 2019 [17] and 2020. [18] [19]

In 2025, Trump again nominated Toretti, this time to become the Ambassador to Sweden. [19]

Personal life

Toretti met University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson at an NCAA dinner. [20] They married in Las Vegas on April 14, 2003. [21] During their marriage, she and her three sons split time between her home on a 200-acre (0.81 km2) farm in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Tucson, Arizona. [20] Olson filed for divorce on December 6, 2007 [21] The proceedings became contentious, with Toretti alleging that Olson improperly moved funds from a joint account the day after filing for divorce. [22]

Toretti serves on several corporate boards, including S&T Bank and the Lockhart Company. [10] Toretti is an ex-officio advisor to the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce. [23] She previously served as the Foundation for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania President, and as a boardmember of The Andy Warhol Museum Advisory Board, Indiana Hospital Board, Chi Omega Foundation, and The Committee of 200. [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 Levy, Barbara. "Lute and Christine Olson". Philanthropy Word. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  2. ↑ "Rig Inventory". S.W. Jack Drilling Company. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Christine Olson focusing on activism amid public divorce". Tucson Citizen. 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  4. 1 2 "Home". S.W. Jack Drilling Company. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  5. ↑ McKay, Jim (1997-05-12). "Founder's Daughter Builds Business at S.W. Jack Drilling in Indiana, Pa". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-05-17.[ dead link ]
  6. 1 2 Dickerson, Linda A. (2001-10-21). "Teaching Dad's crew some new tricks". Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
  7. ↑ "Pittsburgh Business 2001: The Leaders, 31 - 40". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. 2001-03-25. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  8. ↑ "Corbett, Tom". Marcellus Money. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 "Christine J. Olson Bio". Winning with Women in Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "PA State Party Leadership". Republican National Committee. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  11. ↑ Reeves, Frank (1999-04-01). "Pa. GOP notables backing Bush in 2000". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  12. ↑ "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women". Pennsylvania Report. Capital Growth, Inc. 2001. Archived from the original on 2004-02-09.
  13. ↑ "Sy Snyder's Power 50". PoliticsPA . The Publius Group. 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-04-21.
  14. ↑ "The PA Report "Power 75" List" (PDF). Pennsylvania Report. Capital Growth, Inc. January 31, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-20.
  15. ↑ Roarty, Alex; Coit, Sean (January 2010). "Pennsylvania Influencers" (PDF). Politics Magazine. pp. 44–49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-12-29.
  16. ↑ The White House. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov . Retrieved May 22, 2018– via National Archives.
  17. ↑ "PN2032 - Nomination of Christine J. Toretti for Department of State, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  18. ↑ "PN145 - Nomination of Christine J. Toretti for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020)". www.congress.gov. 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  19. 1 2 Ward, Myah (2025-01-10). "Trump's pick for Sweden ambassador didn't clear the Senate when he nominated her the last time". Politico . Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  20. 1 2 Bodfield Bloom, Rhonda (2005-01-23). "Lute Olson's wife can work the boards too". Lute Olson: Official Website. Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  21. 1 2 Horton, Renee Schafer (2008-01-09). "Lute Olson's wife contesting divorce". Tucson Citizen. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  22. ↑ Harris, Craig (2008-04-21). "Lute Olson's divorce heats up over money issues". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  23. ↑ "Ex-Officio Advisors". Chamber Board Members. Indiana County Chamber Of Commerce. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
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