State Rep. Keith Gillespie of the 47th Legislative District is serving his fifth term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, having been elected in November 2002. He is a member of the following four House committees: Game and Fisheries, Professional Licensure, Judiciary, and Tourism and Recreation, where he is chairman of the subcommittee on Recreation.
Additionally, he serves as majority chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's and House Firefighters and Emergency caucuses, and has been appointed vice chairman of the National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) Health Committee.
Learn more on his Facebook page.
Rep. Gillespie’s career has been dedicated to saving lives and serving the public’s health care needs and he plans to focus, in part, on health-related issues as a member of the General Assembly. As a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and paramedic, he has provided first response medical care to thousands of people, giving many a second chance at life.
Prior to his election to the House of Representatives, Gillespie worked as the director of safety, security and pre-hospital systems, producing life-saving results for thousands of York Countians who rely on Memorial Hospital and the emergency service care given.
In that position, Rep. Gillespie supervised the staff of the 24-hour advanced life support unit (Medic 102), leased EMT program and satellite facilities. He also oversaw the hospital's safety and security staff. His work included the development, management of capital, operation and wage budgets of these departments.
Rep. Gillespie began his service to the people of York County at Memorial Hospital in 1980 as a paramedic with Medic 102, the first full-service medic unit in York County. Rep. Gillespie honed his medical skills through his 32 years of service in health care.
Keith’s father worked as an instrument engineer for a division of the Shell Oil Company. His father’s career took the family around the world. They eventually settled on a farm in the Susquehanna Valley. Rep. Gillespie graduated from Solanco High School in 1970. He attended Keystone Junior College and Franklin and Marshall College, studying biology and business administration.
After college, Rep. Gillespie was drawn to the health care field through his desire to help people. In 1972, he became one of the first certified paramedics in Pennsylvania through a national pilot program. In 1978, Gillespie started Lancaster Medical Transport Inc. that later became part of White Rose Ambulance based in York County. Gillespie built the business to 15 full- and part-time employees and managed the company's payroll, marketing, bookkeeping and scheduling.
Rep. Gillespie’s desire to serve his community also is demonstrated by his commitment as a volunteer in the following organizations:
- Member, York County Fatality Review Board
- Past chair, Hospital Subcommittee of the eight-county South Central Pennsylvania Bioterrorism Task Force
- Past board member and past vice president of the Emergency Medical Services Council of York
- Past president of the York County Republican Club, as well as former club vice president and secretary
- Former York County Republican Committeeman in Hellam Township II
- Former Assistant Scoutmaster, Boy Scouts of America; Little League Baseball Coach; Jaycees
Representative Gillespie's first priority is his family. He and his wife, Annette, a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital, and their daughter Lauren reside at their home in Hellam Township adjoining Annette’s family farm. Keith and Annette have two other children: Natalie is a second-grade teacher in Virginia, and David has finished medical school and is completing the second year of a dual Internal Medicine/Pediatric residency at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School.
Rep. Gillespie holds his private pilot’s license for single-engine aircraft and is a certified scuba diver. He is an avid outdoorsman, enjoys both hunting and fishing and is a member of the National Rifle Association and Ducks Unlimited.