Biography

Convinced that the health of Planet Earth and the men, women and children who live here is one of the most critical stories of this century, Gillen has tackled, exposed and brought to the television screen some of the toughest, in-depth environmental reports you will find on your evening news. She created www.SavingPlanetEarth.tv to share with the world the results of her Green I-Team Investigations and share stories that put a human face on the crisis at hand. Her series, "Secrets in the Soil" captures the life and death dramas families are facing in the real fight to save Planet Earth and their lives.

At the same time, Gillen has been a featured reporter on programs including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The O'Reilly Factor on the FOX News Channel, and The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch on CNBC for her investigation "Invisible Chains,” an exposé into human trafficking and modern day slavery. Gillen's findings prompted her to organize and produce a first-of-its-kind international conference to fight human trafficking on U.S. soil.

Her 15-part series on the warehousing of the mentally ill in Florida jails, “The Forgotten Floor,” was credited for triggering landmark change in the system.

Gillen's investigation into the paralysis and deaths of young Italian soccer players and a potential link to the environment in “Headed for Danger” led to a pioneering medical summit and an on-going global research mission to unravel the mystery.

Before joining WFOR-TV in 1997, Gillen worked as an investigative reporter for KCBS- TV in Los Angeles. From 1988 to 1993 she was a featured investigative correspondent on the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, and news magazine broadcasts Exposé and Dateline NBC, based in New York City. Prior to joining the network, Gillen served as anchor and reporter for WPLG-TV in Miami.

In these roles, Gillen has a history of initiating investigative reports which result in significant legislative changes. While at KCBS-TV, she reported and produced the special investigative series “Mammography: Too Young to Die.” This body of work was selected best of show for all investigative reporting (local and network) by the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television. It was credited by members of the U.S. Congress for exposing a flawed government policy on mammography and helping to trigger what they considered a life saving reversal in policy.

For the nationally-syndicated investigative news show, The Crusaders, Gillen produced a five-part special report which focused on domestic violence, particularly in South Florida. Her reporting resulted in the creation of a countywide task force and led to the direct donation and distribution of some $50,000 worth of specialized cameras to every police agency in South Florida to use in documenting domestic violence reports.

Her investigative series on elderly abuse at state-licensed South Florida nursing homes was credited with triggering legislation in Florida that made elderly abuse a felony. While working for NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, she conducted a four-month investigation of substandard mammography equipment. The series, “The Mammography Mess,” was credited on the floor of the U.S. Congress for its significant role in prompting the creation and passage of the first federal law setting national standards for mammography.

Gillen graduated valedictorian from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Mass Communications. A native of Jackson Heights, New York, she has served on the Board of Overseers at Emerson College.