State Rep. Tim Solobay has been representing residents of Washington County’s 48th Legislative District since 1998.

He is vice chairman of the Southwest Democratic Caucus, which was formed to concentrate on issues important to the residents of Washington and surrounding counties, and find ways to spur economic growth in the region. He is also chairman of the Oil and Gas Caucus.

Solobay is chairman of the Firefighter’s Caucus and Lupus Caucus, and is a member of the Hunger Caucus. He is also the House Democratic member of the PEMA Advisory Board, which deals with the safety and security of residents in the face of natural or manmade emergencies.

A lifelong resident of Canonsburg, Solobay earned a bachelor’s degree in management from California Coastal University in Santa Ana, Calif., and he is a graduate of Washington Hospital School of Radiologic Technology.

Prior to becoming a state legislator, Solobay served as state constable in Canonsburg from 1982 to 1998. He worked as a radiographer at Canonsburg Hospital, and was the CAT and MRI department supervisor at Washington Hospital.

Active in his community, Solobay has been a member of the Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department since 1978, and is currently chief. One project he is particularly proud of is being the initial chairman of Washington County’s "Children's Fire Safety House" project.

Solobay serves on many local boards, including the Washington County Food Bank Board of Directors, Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Advisory Board, Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Board, Vocational Advisory Board and the Canonsburg/Houston Rotary and Elks.

Additionally, Solobay has been an emergency medical technician and an instructor for the EMT program, and continues to teach CPR and automatic external defibrillator (AED) for the American Heart Association.

Solobay is a member of Canonsburg's United Presbyterian Church, where he has served as a deacon and elder. He is involved in the local Masonic orders and has received his 32nd degree. He is married to Karen Hoholak Solobay, who is the director of nursing at TriState Surgery Center in Washington. They have a son, Justin; a daughter, Kristen, who is married to Jason Urso, and two granddaughters, Ava Jane and Sarah Elizabeth.