Ellwood City Area Hall of Fame: Tonya Sulia-Goodman, LHS Class of 1990, Is A Force Against Crime

Note: This is the sixth story in a series highlighting the Ellwood City Area Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2022 leading up to the induction of the 2023 Hall of Fame class that will be announced at the October 6th Homecoming Game.

When the “bad guys” come calling, Tonya Sulia-Goodman is instrumental in putting them behind bars.

The class of 1990 graduate has prosecuted some of the most dangerous offenders in Western PA.

One of her cases was historic and unforgettable. She prosecuted Harold Austin, a Washington D.C. man, and he was sentenced to 42 years in prison for the shooting death of his girlfriend Marion Fye. Fye disappeared around Thanksgiving 2003, but her body was never found. It was only the second time in D.C. history that someone was convicted of a murder in a case without a body.

Sulia-Goodman has come a long way from her young days in Ellwood City. She couldn’t remember exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up looking back to her childhood.

“I think at 10 I probably wanted to be an actress. Thank goodness I didn’t stick with that!”

We are thankful too because Sulia-Goodman has become a force in fighting for justice. She has been a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice for 15 years. She presently serves as the Chief of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of PA, where she has worked since 2012. She supervises 14 Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecute federal drug trafficking crimes, violent crime, firearm offenses, and human trafficking.

It was her time as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia when she prosecuted Harold Austin in 2006.

Criminal law has always been an interest for her.

“I was always drawn to it and seeing how criminal cases are investigated and solved was fascinating to me. I thought about becoming an FBI agent and actually got fairly far along in that process, but then realized I’d probably be better in the courtroom than out on the street chasing bad guys. I made the right decision.”

Although she loves her job and the law, Sulia-Goodman said her biggest accomplishment in life is being a mom and raising her three children Gianna (age 15), Gino (age 13), and Carmella (age 9).

“My biggest accomplishment is the amazing human beings that my children have become.”

She loves the time spent with her kids and is a supportive mom. Gianna plays softball and cheers for Mars High School, Gino plays hockey for Mars Middle School and for a travel team, and Carmella is a competitive dancer with Intensity Dance Academy. Sulia-Goodman herself enjoys taking on-demand dance classes.

It would be unfair however not to mention the many accolades she has earned over her career. In addition to making the streets a little safer through her public service, Sulia-Goodman has been awarded three Special Achievement Awards, two LEAD Awards, and Certificates of Appreciation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Although she lives in Mars now, she returns to Ellwood City regularly. She said she loved growing up in Ellwood City.

Lincoln High School Class of 1990 graduate, Tonya Sulia-Goodman

“My favorite memory of Ellwood City is being surrounded by my family. Growing up, I could walk from my house to all my grandparents’ houses and to the houses of many cousins and aunts and uncles.”

Her grandmother Rose Sulia still lives in Ellwood City, and it’s someone she admires greatly.

“She is 97 years old and can talk intelligently with me about politics, sports, and books. She has never lived anywhere except for Ellwood, yet she is extremely progressive and worldly in her beliefs and thinking.”

Sulia-Goodman is also grateful for the guidance she had growing up in the school system.

“I was blessed with so many caring teachers from elementary through high school. I realize now how special it was that all of my teachers always knew me personally.”

And growing up in a small town forced Sulia-Goodman to have a determined work ethic that she may not have had in a different upbringing.

After leaving Ellwood City, she earned a BBA from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business Administration in 1994 and in 2000, she earned a JD from the University of Virginia Law School.

“A huge challenge was going from living in a small blue-collar town to the University of Michigan, a giant University with students from all over the world. Many of the other students at both Michigan and Virginia had gone to private schools and came from wealthy families. I had to work extra hard to be competitive.”

But she doesn’t see that as a negative.

“Even though I didn’t come from an advantaged background like most of my peers throughout my schooling and career, I have always excelled and done better than most. I attribute this to my strong work ethic and my internal motivation to succeed.”

A typical day for Sulia-Goodman is busy from start to end.

“My days are crazy. I’m a single parent, so I get all three kids off to school then drive into my office in downtown Pittsburgh. I’m a federal prosecutor, so no day at work is ever the same. I supervise roughly 20 people, who come to me throughout the day for advice. Some days I have court proceedings. Some days I work with federal law enforcement agents. And typically, every day, I have multiple meetings. My job is very fast-paced, exciting, and meaningful. After work, I have to rush home to take my kids to/from their many activities.”

And she believes her key to success is being prepared.

“I am always well-prepared. That is especially for women in my profession, you have to exude confidence and capability. It all starts with being prepared. If you’re not prepared, you cannot be confident, and you won’t appear to be capable.”

Sulia-Goodman is certainly prepared for continued success in the future and molding future attorneys.

“I’m a supervisor now and I really look forward to developing younger attorneys and helping them to achieve the success that I have had. I especially enjoy mentoring female attorneys because it’s definitely more difficult for women in my profession.”