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Upcoming Event

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The next Sarasota Republican Club meeting will be held on

 

Thursday, April 17, 2025

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6:00 pm at Marina Jack

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Guest Speaker:

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"THE DAY REAGAN WAS SHOT"

 

Observations on Protecting the President

with

Rich Tobin

Retired Secret Service Agent

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From the release of the JFK files to the investigation of Butler, Pennsylvania, America is fascinated by, and fearful of, the risks our open Democracy put our Presidents to.

Sarasota Republican Club member Rich Tobin will discuss his unique career during his 40 years, 4 months, and 10 days of service to our country. Thirty-five of those years were as a Federal Agent.

He began as a file clerk in the Library of Congress, Descriptive Catalog Division, and the Russian language reading room. Rich then served as an E-4 in the Army in Augsburg, Germany in an administrative position, Adjutant General Corps. He is a graduate of the University of Baltimore with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing & Advertising/Finance. He worked as a Securities Analyst for the Treasury Department, Bureau of Public Debt for three years before being sworn in as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service in 1976. During his first
few years as an Agent, Rich earned a Master’s Degree in Criminology, also from the University of Baltimore.

Rich’s work history includes:

- United States Secret Service Washington Field Office, primarily investigating counterfeiting of US currency, and assisting with the security for the President, Vice President, and others;
- Presidential Protective Division, President Reagan;
- Philadelphia Field Office, worked in undercover capacity regarding financial issues;
- Office of Training as a Secret Service Instructor; later, as the Agent-in-Charge of new Agent training.
- In 1995, he worked a year-long special assignment in NYC as the Secret Service Coordinator for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, coordinating the security for nearly 200 world leaders attending that event.

- Continuing through his career, he moved to the Dignitary Protective Division as the Agent in Charge, Detail Leader for visiting foreign Heads of State and Heads of Government.
- From 1999 to 2001, Rich worked as a Special Agent/Criminal Investigator with USAID, the U. S. Agency for International Development. His criminal investigations were outside of the United States where he conducted financial fraud investigations.

After the terrible events of 9-11-01, Rich was part of a small group of experienced Agents who were tasked by the Secretary of Transportation with securing our nations transportation system, primarily airports, airplanes, and other aspects of our national transportation system. This was a part of the initial formation of the Department of Homeland Security. This assignment also involved the growth and oversight of the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAM’s), the establishment of Federal Transportation Security Officers (TSO’s, generally referred to as
screeners), and the Federal Flight Deck Officers (FFDO’s), which were basically trained armed pilots. Rich retired as Special Agent in Charge of Operations.

During his more than 40-year career, Rich conducted his various security assignments and/or criminal investigations throughout the United States and Europe, as well as Africa, the Middle East, Central America. His security and investigative duties also took him to Japan, Korea, Thailand, Russia, Latvia, Macedonia, and numerous other countries.