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Senator Gene Yaw
23rd Senatorial District

Senator Gene Yaw was elected to represent the 23rd Senatorial District in November 2008.

Prior to running for the Senate, Yaw served as Lycoming County solicitor for 17 years and was named County Solicitor of the Year in 2004. He has also served as general counsel to the Pennsylvania College of Technology for more than 20 years and now serves on the Board of Directors of that institution.

Senator Yaw serves as Chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and Vice Chairman of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee.  He is also a member of the Judiciary, Law and Justice, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Labor and Industry and Rules and Executive Nominations Committees and the Majority Policy Committee.  Senator Yaw also serves on a number of Boards and Commissions including as Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a member of the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee and a member of the Environmental Quality Board.

Senator Yaw is a member of the Lycoming Law Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Board of Directors of the Lycoming Law Association Foundation, Inc., and a former member with 17 years of service to the Board of Directors of Susquehanna Legal Services. He serves as "Of Counsel" with the McCormick Law Firm in Williamsport, a prominent firm which has been in continuous existence for 150 years.

A U.S. Army veteran, Yaw enlisted as a Private E-1 and went on to graduate from the United States Artillery and Missile Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served an overseas tour of duty as an artillery officer and was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant.

He graduated from Montoursville High School, attended Bucknell University, and earned degrees from Lycoming College and the American University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

Senator Yaw has coached Little League Baseball, and coached and refereed for the American Youth Soccer Organization. He is a member of the National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, the Nittany Lion Club, and the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. He received the 2010 Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award from the Susquehanna Council, Boy Scouts of America, the 2011 Lycoming College Alumni of the Year Award, and the 2011 CAPPA Community Partner Award and Central Pennsylvania State of Israel Bonds 2012 Israel Unity Award.

A Loyalsock Township resident, Yaw is married to Ann S. Pepperman, Esquire and has two children, Scott and Mackenzie, and two grandchildren. He attends First United Methodist Church in Williamsport and serves as a trustee of the Wallis Run United Methodist Church.