Toni Gilhooley

Toni M. Gilhooley
EAP Consultant/Trainer
Pa State Police Retired
Email: toni_gilworth@msn.com

Toni Gilhooley is a twenty-five-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police, entering the Academy in 1973 in the second cadet class to accept women. She retired in January of 1998 as a Corporal. 

After graduation from the Academy she was stationed in the Lancaster Troop where she worked patrol, undercover and community service programs including recruitment of women and minority cadet applicants. She was then transferred to the Academy in Hershey as the First Female Staff Instructor. While on staff at the Academy, she also trained with the State Police Emergency Response Team as a Hostage Negotiator and received many hours of training in the area of Negotiations, Critical Incidents, Suicide and Threat Assessment. She remains a member of the FOP CISM Team. 

During the last 10 years of her career she helped to develop and then managed the Pa State Police internal Employee Assistance Program known as the Member Assistance Program. This program provided confidential assistance and referral to troopers and their families who are affected by the many personal, professional and stress related problems of law enforcement. During her administration the Member Assistance Program developed and implemented statewide stress training for the department and new administrative regulations.

As an EAP Consultant/Trainer she currently provides consultation and training for workplaces and groups on the following topics: Domestic Violence, Workplace Violence, Sexual Harassment, Stress Management, Self Esteem and Assertiveness, Drug and Alcohol Issues for Law Enforcement and Peer Support for Law Enforcement. She is a consultant to Marworth Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center, Waverly, PA as well as ACCESS EAP, and Behavioral Health, Harrisburg, PA,

In her work with ACCESS EAP she has developed the Peer Support Officer Program which provides confidential assistance to municipal officers in a multi-county network. She designed and provides the basic 24 hour training for peer support officers as well as the in-service training. She also provides consultation and support for the peer officers and when necessary, their referrals.

Toni has also provided many hours of training to AFSCME employees in areas of supervision, stress management, sexual harassment, workplace violence, assertive communication in the workplace as well as other areas of interest.

Toni has been involved in Domestic Violence Training and Programming since 1979. She has been recognized for her efforts by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She continues to work with police and community groups to improve the criminal justice response to victims of DV as well as community recognition of the problem. She is a regular at the University of Scranton Gender in Communication class speaking about Domestic Violence.

After retirement from the State Police, Toni became politically active in her new home of Lackawanna County. She also was very involved in Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, serving at the local, district and State level. She also went to work for the Republican Party and early on organized a new Council of Republican Women, the Margery Scranton Council. She worked tirelessly on behalf of the party and candidates eventually becoming the Lackawanna County coordinator for Sherwood for Congress and then Fisher for Governor. In early 2002 she ran for Chair of the Party. She was one of three candidates for the position and the only woman. She had the plurality on the first ballot but lost the majority on the second. Later in October of 2002, Toni was appointed by Governor Mark Schweiker to serve as one of 11 Commissioners on the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. She served with distinction until her term expired in 2007. In 2002, because of her responsibilities with the Commission, she moved back to the Harrisburg area.

In March of 2004 she joined the newly organized Central Pa Association of Female Executives as a Charter member and served as a board member and past chair of the legislation committee.

2007 and 2008 were very busy years. She was asked by her county party leadership to run for the United States Congress. Her family and friends were very supportive as she worked to stand up for the values she believed in. It was a tough fight without the advantage of a large financial base. Though she did not win she did not lose. She continues to be a leader in Republican Women Organizations and is committed to working for good government.

In addition to CPAFE, Toni is a member of the PA State Trooper Retirees Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, PARSE, and is President of the Capitol City Lodge #272, Organizations of Sons of Italy in America

Scroll to Top