Gavarone was born in Dayton, Ohio and attended Archbishop Alter High School in neighboring Kettering before attending Bowling Green State University, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She later went on to attend the University of Toledo Law School, graduating in 1994. Soon after, she began practicing law in Bowling Green. Along with her husband Jim, Gavarone owns and operates Mr. Spots Philadelphia Steak Sandwich in Bowling Green along with practicing law. Together, they have three children. Gavarone was elected to two full terms on the Bowling Green City Council, winning in 2013 and again in 2015.
In 2016, Tim Brown decided to step down from the Ohio House to take a position with the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, allowing Speaker of the HouseCliff Rosenberger and the House Republican Caucus to choose his successor. After vetting, Gavarone was chosen to complete the remainder of Brown's term, and to take his place on the ballot for a full term beginning in 2017. She was seated in the House on August 2, 2016 and won elections for full terms in 2016 and again in 2018. While in the House, Gavarone served on the following committees: Health, Finance, Finance Subcommittee on Government and Agency Review, Education and Career Readiness, Higher Education, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice. She also served as a House member of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.
Ohio Senate
In 2019, Randy Gardner was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine as Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. He resigned from the Senate in January. Gavarone immediately announced her intention to seek an appointment to the seat. On February 6, after unanimous approval by the Senate Republican Caucus, Gavarone was officially sworn in as Senator of Ohio's 2nd Senate District. At the beginning of the 133rd General Assembly, Gavarone was assigned to the following committees: Higher Education, Health, Education, Judiciary, and Government Oversight and Reform.
Major Legislation Sponsored
132nd General Assembly (2017-2018):
House Bill 115: Creates a voluntary registry of people diagnosed with a communication disability for use by law enforcement when conducting a traffic stop. House Bill 184: Authorizes the use of tele-dentistry to provide people living in oral healthcare professional shortage areas with the opportunity to seek dental care. House Bill 366: Updates Ohio's 26-year-old child support guidelines. House Bill 535: Allows for ADAMHS Boards to access crucial information related to the administration of Narcan and requires Vivitrol to be inputted into the Ohio OARRS program.
133rd General Assembly (2019-2020):
Senate Bill 52: Creates the Ohio Cyber Reserve and makes changes to post-election audits. Senate Bill 55: Enhances penalties for drug dealers who sell or distribute drugs within the vicinity of a rehab facility. Senate Bill 58: Increases access to state hospital beds by allowing people convicted of non-violent misdemeanors to seek mental evaluations outside of a state hospital. Senate Bill 134: Modifies penalties for illegally passing a stopped bus. Senate Bill 139: Creates the "First-Time Home Buyer Savings Act". Senate Joint Resolution 1: Creates a $1 billion bond issue for water quality improvement projects in Lake Erie and across Ohio. Senate Bill 156: Bans the sale, use, manufacture, or possession of synthetic urine.
