Heather M. Solanka joined the Office of General Counsel in August 2021.  Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel, Ms. Solanka spent four years litigating catastrophic commercial motor vehicle accident cases. Prior to litigating commercial motor vehicle cases, she spent the first 15 years of her legal career litigating complex business and commercial litigation matters, including banking related litigation, business torts, real property litigation, and creditors’ rights.

Ms. Solanka is a 1992 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and served six years on active duty in the Coast Guard thereafter during which time she earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She earned her law degree from the University of Florida College of Law with high honors.

Ms. Solanka is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, is a member of the Florida Bar, the Jacksonville Bar Association, and the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

She is active in the community, having served as the Chair of the Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Florida’s First Coast Board of Directors, as a volunteer guardian ad litem, as Vice Chair of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee 4A, and currently serves as immediate past chair of the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus Board of Directors, on the Board of Directors of the Towers of Jacksonville, Inc. and the Baptist Towers Foundation.  In addition, she is an active member of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church where she currently serves on the properties committee.