Meet rob gurtcheff
Rob and his mother moved to the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia when he was three years old, following the sudden death of his WWII veteran father.
As a child, Rob attended St. Martha School, where he played multiple sports and was an altar server. At the age of ten, he got a job delivering newspapers for the Northeast Times. He held this job for a few years until he started delivering the evening edition of the Philadelphia Daily News. These experiences taught Rob the importance of hard work and dependability.
Rob went to Archbishop Ryan High School where he found his spirit of service and leadership. He served as the president of his high school’s World Affairs Chapter. He guided fellow students to numerous lectures in Center City. Throughout high school, he worked part time nights and weekends at a restaurant in Franklin Mills. He filled all sorts of positions as needed.
After high school, Rob attended Temple University where he graduated with a BA in Political Science. He worked his way through college, sometimes working three jobs at once. One of these jobs that left a lasting impression was working in Temple University’s Office of Facilities Management. In this position, Rob answered complaints and dispatched union workers to make repairs. At just 19 years old, Rob’s supervisors placed their trust in him to handle emergency facility issues at all campuses each evening. This was also his first interaction with union tradesmen.
Rob in uniform, with his wife Pam.
Neither the military information nor photographs imply endorsement by the
U.S. Army
From 1999 to 2004, Rob served our nation as a U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special agent. He deployed to Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq. In Afghanistan, he conducted Counterintelligence Source Protection Operations. In Kuwait and Iraq, he was promoted to Sergeant and was an Assistant Team Leader of a team of Counterintelligence Special Agents. Rob maintains many of the relationships he forged in the Army. In 2021, Rob even donated a kidney to his Army buddy, Shawn.
After the Army, Rob returned to his Northeast Philadelphia home and earned his Certified Fraud Examiner credentials. He has used his training and leadership skills to fight healthcare fraud and has investigated a variety of schemes from opioid diversion to overbilling and upcoding.
Rob also served his community as a baseball and basketball coach, Lay Leader for the United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd, and his local VFW and American Legion posts. He volunteers numerous hours at the Delaware Valley Veterans Home, and was recently appointed Quartermaster of VFW Post 6617.
Now, he’s working to take his skills and experiences to Harrisburg and to fight for his community in the 170th District.