Bob Hagen, Businessman and Army Veteran

Bob Hagen, businessman and army veteran, is Gabrielle Giffords’ Supporter of the Week. He met Gabrielle when she was in the legislature, and they worked together to pass legislation to bring high-wage jobs to Arizona. “Gabrielle Giffords’ business experience, legislative experience, and her education give her an ideal background for a U.S. Congressional candidate,” he says.

Bob’s family moved to Southern Arizona when he was one-and-a-half years old. He graduated from Amphitheater High School in Tucson, and then attended the University of Arizona. He received a Bachelors in Economics, and then earned a Masters in Business Administration as a Wildcat.

One year after he received his MBA, Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was sent to Vietnam, where he served in the Adjutant General’s Corps, in Long Binh. He was part of a special unit that provided computer support for logistics centers throughout Vietnam. For his service in the military, he received the Army Commendation Medal.

Upon returning to civilian life, Bob began working for the U.S. Department of Energy, in New Mexico. There, he met his wife, Sherry, and they were married in 1977. Six years later, Bob began to miss the allure of Southern Arizona, and he and Sherry moved back to the Old Pueblo.

Back in Tucson, Bob started his own business, Entre Computer Center. This high-tech firm provided networking support to businesses, educational institutions, and government. He ran this business for eleven years before selling it.

After spending several years doing internet consulting, Bob joined up with several other forward-looking business leaders to found the Southern Arizona Tech Council. This nonprofit organization was a business development group for many industry sectors.

Bob first met Gabrielle Giffords when he founded the Southern Arizona Tech Council, around the same time that Giffords was first elected to the Legislature. “We did a lot of work with the legislature,” Bob said. “She understood why it was important that we support high tech companies for their ability to create high-paying jobs.”

“I think Gabrielle understands well the importance of innovation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and workforce development to Arizona’s economic future,” Bob said.

Bob thinks that Gabrielle’s background and experience will enable her to be a superb representative for Southern Arizona in Congress. “Gabrielle Giffords’ business experience, legislative experience, and her education give her an ideal background for a U.S. Congressional candidate,” he says.

In his free time, Bob enjoys Arizona’s outdoors, hiking, walking, and exercising.