A former White House press secretary will present and free public lecture and participate in a question-and-answer session Sept. 17 on the University Park campus of Penn State.
Robert Gibbs, who was the 27th White House Press Secretary from 2009 to 2011, will be the featured guest in a hourlong session that begins at 3:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium of Paterno Library. The session, sponsored by the University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, will be moderated by Jay Paterno, a Penn State alumnus and member of the board of trustees.
Gibbs worked at the White House during President Barack Obama’s first term. He had worked with Obama since 2004, serving as communications director for the then-senator and later for his campaign during the 2008 election cycle. Before that, Gibbs was press secretary for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and was part of several senate campaign.
After leaving politics, Gibbs served as executive vice president and global chief communications officer of McDonald's from 2015 to 2019.
Gibbs earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina State University and was a member of the varsity soccer team as goalkeeper. He was born and raised in Auburn, Alabama.