Politics

Businessman Bob Rubin, Along For the Ride at the RNC

By Gloria Penner / Senior Political Correspondent, Political Fix by Gloria Penner

Published September 1, 2008 at 3:00 AM PDT

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

Above: Click to watch the interview with Bob Rubin

Sustenance at conventions is not always easy to come by. & So the conventional wisdom is to eat when you see food.

I was grabbing a sandwich from a kiosk at Minneapolis' grand Convention Center when I overheard a man say "San Diego." & I had no idea who this person was, although he did look familiar. & But I was there to ask questions and he was willing to be interviewed.

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Turns out he is his wife's guest and she is an alternate delegate from San Diego's 52nd Congressional District (Rep. Duncan Hunter's district). & She is Christine Ribieros Rubin, District Director for State Senator Mark Wyland who represents the 38th State Senate District. She has served in the Schwarzenegger Administration and worked for John McCain's campaign in 2000 and again in his current bid for president.

So, she is well-connected politically. & But what about Bob? & Just an ordinary helpmate, accompanying his spouse to a convention?

Not exactly. & After I did that totally unplanned, spontaneous interview with him (video above), I found his website thanks to a fast Google search. Here's a bit about the company he owns and founded:

"Program Advancement Group, Inc. is a Veteran-Owned Small Business located in San Diego, California. For the past 14 years, we have been dedicated to providing the most superior analytical support available. Our province is in the areas of operations research, solutions to government operational & logistics/business problems, and technical consulting applied to the management of science and engineering endeavors."

Bob Rubin's Specialties:

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"Assist commercial firms with technical capabilities in forming new liaisons with State and Federal Government. & It's always good to have some background to put a frame around what folks have to say."

Politics

Gloria Penner

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KPBS remembers Gloria Penner, Senior Political Correspondent and host of "KPBS Midday Edition- Roundtable" on Fridays at noon. Gloria was the host "San Diego Week" from 2008-2011 and also hosted the first hour of KPBS Radio's "These Days" from 1995 to 1999. She served as the host of KPBS TV's "Full Focus" from 2003 to 2007. Gloria first joined KPBS Television in 1969 as director of community relations. Subsequently, she oversaw production of television programs for nine years. From 1993 to 1995, she was the host and writer for "KPBS Weekend Edition," a locally produced television program featuring highlights from the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour. National credits include reporting and producing assignments for "Nightly Business Report" and the "MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour." She played an active part in KPBS’ election coverage for 30 years. She has moderated scores of town hall meetings on candidates races and propositions for KPBS, "Envision San Diego," and the League of Women Voters. She conducted scores of interviews with congressional, state and local candidates; and reported for television documentaries on issues and candidates. Her awards include 7 Emmys, 5 Golden Mikes, 2 Gracies from the American Federation of Women in Radio and Television, The San Diego Press Club’s Harold Keen Award for excellence in journalism, the John Swett Award from the California Teachers Association, and many honors from the Society for Professional Journalists and the San Diego Bar Association. An annual Gloria Penner Award for Civic Service was established in 2003 by the League of Women Voters of San Diego County, and Gloria was the first recipient. Gloria earned her bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. She did graduate work in English at New York University and earned her Master’s Degree in English from Syracuse University. She started her radio career in San Francisco in the 1950s as an associate producer on a program called Housewives Protective League. Her first job in television came after a move to Washington, D.C. where she was associate producer of the Washington segment of the "Today Show." After a stint in Hawaii and a return to Washington, D.C., she relocated to San Diego and took a few years off for family life. Gloria is survived by her husband Bill Snyder of La Jolla; two sons, Brad Penner of San Diego and Steve Penner of Tucson, Arizona.

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