Obama General Election Campaign Organization, North Carolina
revised April 14, 2009  disclaimer

Obama for America  |  600 Glenwood Ave, Ste 150  |  Raleigh, NC  27612
State Director
 		Marc Farinella
Partner in Murphy Putnam Shorr & Partners, one of the nation’s top Democratic media firms, and founding partner and president of Convergence Strategies.  Executive director of Sen. Evan Bayh's All America PAC in the 2006 cycle.  North Carolina experience includes worked on Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue's re-election in 2004 and on Erskine Bowles' Senate bid in 2002.  Managed the late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan's 2000 U.S. Senate campaign in which Carnahan, who died in a plane crash three weeks before the election, defeated the then-incumbent Sen. John Ashcroft.  Chief of Staff to Gov. Mel Carnahan and managed Carnahan’s successful campaign for governor in 1992.  Master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago and a Master’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois.  Bachelor’s degree in political science from Northwestern University.

Political Director
 		Kevin Monroe
(announced July 22, 2008)  Served as U.S. Sen. John Edwards’ representative in the Charlotte area and also managed two campaigns in Charlotte, Congressman Mel Watt and Charlotte City Councilman at Large Anthony Foxx.  Earlier, Monroe was the Senior Policy Adviser for National Security to the late U.S. Sen. Terry Sanford and was on the Senate Armed Services Committee Staff for U.S. Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL).  Grew up in Buies Creek.

Communications Director
 		Susan Lagana
(announced July 22, 2008)  J.D. candidate at UNC-Chapel Hill Law School, 2009.  Media officer for UNICEF.  Chief spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.  Communications director on Erskine Bowles' 2004 and 2002 U.S. Senate campaigns in North Carolina, and in between served as press secretary on Blair Hull for U.S. Senate in Illinois.  Press secretary to Georgia Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor 1998-2000; also worked briefly for Gov. Zel Miller.  Originally from Charlotte.

Deputy Communications Director
 		Paul Cox
(announced July 22, 2008)  On leave from position as press secretary to Congressman David Price (D-NC).  Cox earlier served as press secretary for Price's re-election campaign in North Carolina.  A regional field director on the 2004 Erskine Bowles for U.S. Senate campaign.  Graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill.  Raised in Sanford.

New Media Director
 		Merici Vinton
International MBA graduate from Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.


Campaign for Change
General Election Director
 Hallie Schneir
Started on the Obama campaign as regional field director for East Central Iowa during the caucuses; later served as regional field director in Fort Worth on the campaign in Texas, and as field director on the campaign in Indiana.  Worked on Virginia Victory 2005, helping to elect Tim Kaine governor.  Oregon City field organizer on Carry Oregon (the 2004 Oregon Democratic Coordinated Campaign).

Field Director
 Chris Lewis
Regional field director for North Central Iowa on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign.

Deputy Field Director
 Elizabeth (Bess) Evans
Started on the campaign in Iowa in mid-2007; later served as a regional field director on the campaign in Indiana.  Graduate of DePauw University with a degree in sociology and communication, 2007.  Native of Evanston, IL.

Deputy Field Director
 Michael Halle
Started as a field organizer on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign, then continued on to Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana.  Interned at the Center for American Progress.  Graduate of Illinois State University, 2006.
Regional Organization
50 offices around the state

Constituency Outreach Director
 Rudy Schenk
Shenk started out as the campaign's national outreach director in Chicago and served as state director for the New York primary.  Oversaw Kerry-Edwards outreach to CEOs and small business owners during '04 cycle.  Aide to New York State Comptroller, H. Carl McCall during his 2002 gubernatorial bid.  Government affairs associate for Napster.  Undergraduate degree from NYU; J.D. from Fordham Law School.  Grew up in Portland, Oregon.

Women for Obama Coordinator
 Caroline Brown

Veteran Vote Director
 Delio Calzolari
J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law, 2007.  Account manager at Caterpillar Logistics, 2001-04.  Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, 1996-2000.  B.S. in finance from the University of Illinois, 1996.

Youth Vote Director
 Dean Fluker
Field organizer for the campaign in Iowa City, Iowa and later in Northwest Washington state. Washington native.

Surrogate Scheduler
 Alex Hirschhorn
An assistant scheduler on Obama's Senate campaign.  Graduate of Oberlin College.

Research Director
 Jimbo Parrott
Attorney at Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, LLP and partner at Crooked Timber Productions, LLP.  Previously an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP, 2001-05.  J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, 2001; M.A. in philosophy from University of Washington, 1998; B.A. in philosophy from  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1992.  

Data Director and Voter File Manager
 Craig Erdrich
Associate at CRA International.  Research Associate at ERS Group.  Graduate of Duke University.

Operations Director
 Charles Duncan


Early Vote Director
 Tony Rediger
Started out as an intern doing phone calls and canvassing in Iowa, then a staffer in Iowa; worked on the campaign in Las Vegas, Nevada and in Colorado.  Graduate of University of Iowa, 2007.  From Warren Township, IL.

GOTV Director
 Alex Okrent
Worked for the campaign in Iowa; deputy Northeast regional field director in Ohio; GOTV director in Oregon.  Veteran of Obama’s 2004 Senate race.  Graduate of Wesleyan University, 2005.

Voter Protection Coordinator
 Lowry Crook
A counsel in the Litigation and Controversy Department at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr; joined the firm in 1998.  J.D. and M.A. from the University of Texas School of Law, 1999; B.A. from University of Texas, 1993.



North Carolina Democratic Party  |  220 Hillsborough Street  |  Raleigh, NC 27603   919-821-2777   >
Chair
 Jerry Meek
(elected in 2005 and re-elected unanimously in January 2007)  Partner with the law firm Poyner & Spruill, LLP.  First Vice Chair of the N.C. Democratic Party, 2003-05.  Democratic nominee for N.C. House of Representatives, 18th District in 1998.  Elected to serve as the chairman of the Cumberland County Democratic Party at age 25.  Served as state and national president of the Teen Democrats, as the youngest delegate to the 1988 Democratic National Convention, as a precinct chair and as a congressional district officer.  Involved in the Democratic Party since age 13.  Undergraduate degree economics and political science from Duke University; Master's degree in Government from the University of Notre Dame; and law degree from Duke Law School, 1997.


Executive Director
 Caroline Valand
Previously national political director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) since 2001.  Political director of the North Carolina Senate Committeein the 1998 cycle and executive director in the 2000 cycle. Worked at a political consulting firm in Washington, DC.  Master's degree in legislative affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.  B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Raised in Washington, North Carolina.

Senior Political Director
 Kristen Ward


Eastern Political Director
 Mira Jones
(announced Dec. 2006)  Degree in communications and African-American and Caribbean studies from The William Paterson University of New Jersey.

Western Political Director
 Freddie Harrill
(announced Sept. 2007) Based in Shelby.  Served as the: chairman of the 10th CD; chairman and vice-chairman of the Cleveland County Democratic Party; and several terms on the Democratic State Executive Committee.  He also managed several political campaigns, including Jack Hunt’s congressional campaign and Walter Dalton’s state senate campaign.


Communications Director
 Kerra Bolton
Previously a Raleigh-based columnist for the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Finance Director
 		John Gardner


Technology Director
 Thomas Belch


Special Projects Director
 Julia Lee
(announced Sept. 2007) Experience includes executive director of the Wake County Democratic Party; office manager for the North Carolina Democratic Coordinated Campaign; a mathematics teaching intern for Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School; and a contractor with the City Gallery of Contemporary Art.

Online Communications
 Jerimee Richir


Director of Administration
 Sallie Leslie




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Copyright © 2008  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action