Sewickley Council welcomes new member

Sewickley officials have tapped a retired clinical nursing instructor and former Cornell School District school board member as their new councilwoman.

Linda Solecki was appointed to borough council Aug. 13.

She fills the vacancy created when former councilman Brian Bozzo moved to nearby Glen Osborne.

Bozzo, 39, was appointed to council in July 2021 to fill the unexpired term of Christine Allen. The intellectual property and patent attorney at K&L Gates went on to win a four-year seat in that year’s election. His term was to expire at the end of 2025.

Solecki, 68, was chosen from two candidates. Her appointment came by a 4-3 vote.

Councilwoman Bridgett Bates nominated Solecki. She was supported by council President Cynthia Mullins, Todd Hamer, and Donna Korczyk.

“I think she has a proven track record of being serious about public service,” Bates said. She believes Solecki is an excellent fit for Bozzo’s shoes.

“Brian was an extremely valuable member. His dedication, his transparency, his honesty were impressive, and I look forward to working with Linda and seeing what she brings to the table. I think we have a full slate and we’re moving in the right direction.”

Councilman Thomas Rostek nominated retired technology consultant David Bishop to fill the vacancy. He was supported by Todd Renner and Anne Willoughby.

Rostek said Bishop, and has been in the borough for at least 28 years.

“He’s a longtime and active member of our community and spent a lot of time in private business working through budgets and handling complicated projects.

Council Vice President Julie Barnes was absent.

Rostek welcomed Solecki aboard shortly after the appointment was made.

Mullins said the new councilwoman would be sworn in by Mayor George Shannon at next month’s meeting.

“Sewickley is fortunate to have motivated community-oriented residents who are willing to volunteer their time and talents for the betterment of our community,” Mullins said. “Linda has been engaged in a variety of public service endeavors over the years. I look forward to working with her.”

The resume

Solecki served on the Cornell School Board from 2016-2020, including two years as vice president.

She is the founder and former president of the Neville Island Historical Society.

Solecki also served on the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation’s board of directors and is a member of the Allegheny County Health Department’s medical reserve corp.

She worked as an oncology/hematology nurse for two years at West Virginia University’s Ruby Memorial Hospital before joining Vencor, also called Kindred Healthcare, as a registered nurse with the ICU staff.

Solecki went on to become a system analyst at UPMC’s corporate medical center and then served as a clinical nursing instructor at Pitt’s School of Nursing for nine years.

“The science interests me,” she said about joining the medical field. “It probably has a lot to do with control, too. Nurses control everything. Helping people, I like that. It is one of the most trusted and honorable professions around. It is a tough job. It is not for the faint of heart. … Nurses are the bulwark against the facility and what doctors do.”

She encouraged her students to have a high ethical code and “always do the right thing” when providing patient care.”

The Uniontown Area High School grad is preparing for her 50th class reunion.

Solecki also has a degree in Science in Nursing from Penn State Fayette Campus and the University of Pittsburgh as well as a master’s of Science in Nursing Informatics from Pitt.

Seeking council

Solecki and her husband, Joseph, a retired engineer and software developer and former chief technologist for Washington County-based Ansys, moved to Sewickley in April 2023. The couple had previously lived in Neville Island.

“We’re new to the area and I wanted to get more involved,” Solecki said. “I did that in my last community. I was on the school board and found that very fulfilling. You can’t make big changes (on your own), but you can have an input on little stuff. I like that.”

She said they wanted to downsize and loved the walkability of Sewickley.

“I like Sewickley and I like the people,” Solecki said. “There’s not too much I can say that is negative.”

She also credited folks at the Sewickley Historical Society for helping her get Neville’s society off the ground years ago.

Solecki said she planned on celebrating her council appointment with some champagne.

Her first point of borough business is to learn more about how to serve on council before getting into other projects.