Robert Gleason

Robert A. "Rob" Gleason, Jr. is an American businessman who formerly served as Chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party.

For the American murderer, see Robert Gleason (murderer).
Rob Gleason
Chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party
In office
June 3, 2006 – February 15, 2017
Preceded byEileen Melvin
Succeeded byVal DiGiorgio
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In office
July 1, 1985 – January 20, 1987
GovernorDick Thornburgh
Preceded byWilliam Davis
Succeeded byJames Haggerty
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Jeanne
Children4
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)

Early life, professional career and memberships

A 1956 graduate of Westmont Hilltop High School and a 1957 graduate of The Kiski School, Gleason graduated in 1961 from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

An insurance broker, Gleason served as Chair and CEO of The Gleason Agency, an insurance brokerage firm started by his grandfather and continued by his father, Robert A. Gleason. The business was sold in 2010 to Arthur J. Gallagher.

Gleason served as a Trustee of Saint Francis University from 1978 to 1988 and the University of Pennsylvania from 1998 to 2013. He currently serves as a Trustee of The Kiski School. He was elected as a Westmont Hilltop Board of Education member in 2019 and Board President in 2020.

Gleason is also affiliated with various civic, philanthropic, and professional organizations serving as Chair of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers in 2000. He was Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center. He served as a trustee and Secretary of the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

Political career

Appointed positions

Gleason served in Governor Dick Thornburgh's cabinet as Secretary of the Commonwealth from 1985 to 1987. In 1993, Governor Bob Casey nominated Gleason to be a member of the five-person Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, where he served until 1997. In 1997, Governor Tom Ridge appointed Gleason to the State Transportation Commission.[1] President George Bush appointed Gleason to the Commission of Presidential Scholars where he served from 2006 to 2010. In 2018, President Donald Trump appointed Gleason to the Board of Visitors of the United States Air Force Academy for a term ending in 2023.

Cambria County

In 1996, he succeeded his father, the late Robert A. Gleason Sr., as Chair of the Cambria County Republican Committee.

Pennsylvania

In 2006, Gleason was elected Chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, serving until 2017. During his tenure, the Republican Party elected a Governor, a Senator (twice), 13 Congressmen (out of 18), and elected record majorities in the State Senate and State House. In 2016, Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania, the first Republican to do so in 28 years.

In 2004, Gleason was named co-chair of Catholics for Bush in Pennsylvania.[1] He was elected chair of the State Republican Party in June 2006, following the retirement of Eileen Melvin.[2][3]

In 2002, the political Web site PoliticsPA named him to their list of Pennsylvania's Best County Party Chairs, saying that Gleason "brings in money and gets things done" in a "tough county for any Republican."[4]

In 2009, Politics Magazine ranked Gleason and his brother Chris first on their "The Pennsylvania Report 100" list of influential Republican figures in Pennsylvania politics and noted that he was "a hard worker and efficient manager of the state GOP."[5] Gleason currently serves as a member of the Catholic Advisory Committee of the Republican National Committee.[6]

During Gleason's tenure as state party chair, the Republican presidential nominee has failed to carry Pennsylvania,[7] although the party maintained control of the State Senate and had maintained control of the State Attorney General's office until 2012. The party had a difficult election cycle in 2006, with the re-election of Democratic Governor Ed Rendell. That year, Democrats also took control of the State House for the first time in Gleason's tenure as state chair. In 2012, the party also won 12 new county courthouse majorities[8] and one victory for statewide court.[9]

References
  1. "Rob Gleason, Chairman". Chairman. The Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  2. "Mr. Robert A. Gleason, Jr". PA State Party Leadership. The Republican Party of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  3. O'Toole, James (May 20, 2006). "State GOP chair retiring". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  4. "PA's Best and Worst County Chairs". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2001. Archived from the original on 2003-02-12.
  5. "PA Report 100" (PDF). Pennsylvania Report. Capital Growth, Inc. January 23, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-14.
  6. "Mr. Robert A. Gleason, Jr" (PDF). State Leadership. The Republican National Committee. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  7. Bowman, Quinn (September 28, 2011). "Pennsylvania Electoral College Proposal Divides GOP Officials, Public". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  8. Gibson, Keegan. "Updated: PAGOP Nets 12 New County Courthouse Majorities". PoliticsPA.
  9. Thompson, Charles. "Republican candidate Anne Covey headed for win in Commonwealth Court race". Patriot News.
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