Parker: Woman back in town after fleeing Egypt as 'spy'

By Penny Parker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 20, 2007 at midnight

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Gina London knew she had to leave her job in Egypt or risk losing her life.

London, the former Denver-based CNN reporter who last worked here for lobbyists CRL Associates, knew she had to abandon her job at the International Republican Institute in Cairo when a newspaper ran her picture on the front page.

"There was a huge banner headline saying, 'Get rid of the spy,' with my picture with a gun sight over it," London said. "The government was allowing government-controlled newspapers to mount a campaign against me. I was afraid some crazy out there would take them up on their call."

London's journey to becoming Egypt's "most hated" started when she says she was misquoted in a major Cairo daily newspaper.

"They had me saying that there had been no Democratic reform in the 25 years that (Hosni) Mubarak had been president," she said. "In the same week, we released our political party assessment report, which pretty much criticized the uneven playing field, which got a lot of press."

London signed on last January with IRI, an organization that educates people on how democracy works in the U.S. She left there in July and moved to Seattle as a consultant running a political campaign. When the initiative failed to pass, her former boss, CRL honcho Maria Garcia Berry, called and made London an offer to return to her old job in Denver. She rejoined CRL Jan. 2 as senior vice president.

"Frankly, I hoped that Egypt was going to work," she said. "Everybody drives with their hand firmly on the horn 24-7. It is teeming with noise; there are no emission standards, so there's noise and pollution nonstop. The good news is that the pyramids will be there for another thousand years, and it may be that long before I visit again."

To celebrate her return to Denver, London will be guest bartender from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Place. Her boyfriend, Scotty Walsh, a Seattle artist and magician, will perform his magic show. $5 at the door.

BEER BOSS BENCH: Molson Coors Brewing CEO Leo Kiely turned 60 on Jan. 18. His wife, Susan Kiely, turned 60 on Jan. 16. They met 37 years ago on Jan. 17.

To celebrate their joint birthdays, the Kielys met friends and family at Sullivan's for dinner last week and were persuaded by their daughter, Whitney, and her husband, Doug Moehle, to walk in the freezing cold over to Coors Field.

"They gave us a park bench with our names on it," Susan told me. "There's a plaque that says Leo and Susan Kiely's 60th birthday."

The six-decade, dedicated bench sits on Wazee Street on the promenade near Coors Field.

MORRIS MAKES VP: Brittany Morris, daughter of music man Chuck Morris, has been promoted to vice president at CRL Associates. She will be responsible for public affairs programs for several of the firm's clients and be the boss of CRL's account executives.

WHEW! Dear readers, I was missing in action a couple days this week because I had another breast cancer scare. I am, however, happy to report that the biopsy on my other breast was benign.

I had my first post-cancer mammogram Jan. 4, and the radiologist spotted "calcifications" on the film. My biopsy was Wednesday with Dr. Steve Parker, my fictional brother and the best radiologist on the planet.

I spent Wednesday and Thursday scared spitless until I got the call from Dr. Parker giving me the all clear. Just thought I'd share.

EAVESDROPPING on a man talking to a woman at a Boulder Bar: "Tell me again, what's Oprah's squeeze's name?"

"I can never remember either. I just call him The Phantom of the Oprah."

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday through Saturday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parkerp@RockyMountainNews.com.

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