Senator Gene Yaw was elected to represent the 23rd Senatorial District in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union Counties 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. In 2013, he was elected Chairman of the Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors.
Senator Yaw serves as Chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. He is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a member of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Banking & Insurance, Community, Economic & Recreational Development, Rules & Executive Nominations, and the Majority Policy Committees.
Senator Yaw serves on a number of Boards and Commissions including as Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a member of the Environmental Quality Board, a member of the Pennsylvania Aggregate Advisory Board, and a member of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority.
Senator Yaw is a member of the Lycoming Law Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and a former member of 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 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, the 2011 CAPPA Community Partner Award, the Central Pennsylvania State of Israel Bonds 2012 Israel Unity Award, the 2013 Pennsylvania Winery Association Industry Supporter Award, the 2014 Pennsylvania College of Technology Centennial Leadership Award, the 2015 Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award, the 2019 Pennsylvania Water Environment Association Public Official of the Year Award and the 2021 Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Legislator Leadership Award.
Most recently, Senator Yaw received the 2023 WVIA Good Neighbor Award, the 2023 Marcellus Shale Coalition Shale Gas Advocate Award, and was selected as the 2023 Clean Water Champion by the Choose Clean Water Coalition. Yaw has also been recognized by the National Federation of Independent Business as a Guardian of Small Business for several legislative sessions and by Americans for Prosperity – Pennsylvania for his consistent conservative legislative voting record. In May 2023, Sen. Yaw was named to the City and State Pennsylvania 2023 Energy and Environment Power 100 list.
A Loyalsock Township resident, Yaw is married to Ann S. Pepperman, Esquire. Together they have two children, Scott and Mackenzie, and four grandchildren.