Key People-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
updated August 31, 2009  disclaimer

OBAMA FOR AMERICA  General Election Edition
  -transition
   -primary organization
   -early organization to Sept. 2007
Headquarters: 233 N. Michigan Ave., 11th Floor, Chicago, Illinois.

OPERATIONS    |     CFO      |      POLITICAL    |    FIELD      |      COMMUNICATIONS     |     POLICY      |    RESEARCH    |    NEW MEDIA      |     TECHNOLOGY   
 SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE      |    MICHELLE     |    JOE &  JILL     |     FINANCE      |   COUNSEL    |     CONSULTANTS      |     MORE      |    
PODS/REGIONAL    |    IN THE STATES
see also DNC and Convention

Campaign Manager David Plouffe
(reported by Lynn Sweet on Jan. 11, 2007)  Joined AKP Message & Media in winter 2000 and became a named partner in Feb. 2004.  Senior political advisor on Dick Gephardt's 2004 presidential campaign.  Executive director of the DCCC, 1999-2000.  Gephardt's deputy chief of staff, 1997-98.  Managed Bob Torricelli's 1996 campaign for U.S. Senate in New Jersey.  Campaign director at the DSCC in 1995.  Managed Attorney General Charlie Oberly's unsuccessful U.S. Senate race against Sen. Bill Roth in Delaware in 1994.  Managed Rep. John Olver's (D-MA) 1992 re-election campaign.  Served as a state field director for Sen. Tom Harkin's 1992 presidential campaign, after serving as deputy field director in Harkin's 1990 U.S. Senate race.  Attended University of Delaware from fall 1985 through fall 1988 as a political science major.

Assistant: Katie "KJ" Johnson - (Jan. 2007)  Special assistant to Rep. Rahm Emanuel at the DCCC for two years.  Field organizer on Stephanie Herseth's campaign for Congress in the June 1, 2004 special election in in South Dakota.  Worked as a paralegal in New York.  Bachelor's degree in political science from Wellesley, 2003.  Grew up in Bethesda, MD.

 
Media Strategist David Axelrod
Founded, in 1985, and is a principal of the Chicago-based campaign media firm now known as AKP Message & Media (formerly Axelrod & Associates); has worked on over 150 campaigns at the local, state and national levels.  Did the message and media campaign for Obama's 2004 primary campaign.  Served as media consultant on Sen. John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign.  Managed Paul Simon's 1984 U.S. Senate race where he upset Sen. Charles Percy.  Eight years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covering national, state and local politics. Graduate of the University of Chicago.  Native of New York City.

Deputy: Karen Dunn - (July 2008)  Law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.  J.D. from Yale Law School, 2006.  Worked for Senate candidate and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as her press secretary and later as communications director and a senior adviser.  Aide to Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey. Bachelor's degree from Brown University.


Senior Strategist for Communications and Message Robert Gibbs
(senior traveling communications aide from the start of the campaign; additional strategic responsibilities announced July 15, 2008)  Joined Obama shortly after he won the March 16, 2004 U.S. Senate primary.  Press secretary for John Kerry for President for the first 10-plus months; resigned Nov. 2003.  Press secretary for the DSCC, 2001-02.  Communications director for Debbie Stabenow's U.S. Senate campaign, 1999-2000.  Press secretary to Sen. Max Cleland, 1999.  Communications director for Fritz Hollings' 1998 re-election campaign. Graduate of North Carolina State University.


Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett
Friend to Michelle and Barack Obama and served as finance chair for Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign .  CEO of The Habitat Co., a real estate development and management company; she joined the firm in 1995.  Eight years working for the City of Chicago, first as Deputy Corporation Counsel for Finance and Development, then as deputy chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1991, and as Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development from 1992-95.


Deputy Campaign Manager Steve Hildebrand
Overseeing political and field operations; focused on early states through Sept. 2007 (Hildebrand traveled with Obama when he made his first Iowa visit for the Harkin Steak Fry in Sept. 2006)  South Dakota based principal of Hildebrand Tewes Consulting, Inc..  Managed Sen. Tom Daschle's 2004 re-election campaign, a narrow loss to John Thune.  Managed Sen. Tim Johnson's 2002 re-election campaign, a narrow win over Rep. John Thune.  Ran the Women Vote! Program for EMILY's List in 2000.  Ran the Iowa caucuses for Vice President Al Gore in 1999-2000.  Political director at the DSCC in 1997-98.  Midwest Political Director at the DNC in 1996.  Executive director of the Minnesota DFL from mid-August 1995 to mid-March 1996.  Finance director for Minnesota Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III's unsuccessful 1988 Senate campaign.
 


Chief of Staff Jim Messina
(June 2008)  Comes to the campaign from his position as chief of staff to Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).  Chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), 2003-05.  Campaign manager on Baucus' 2002 campaign.  Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), 1999-2001.  Campaign manager on Baucus' 1996 campaign.  Chief of staff to state Sen. Mike Halligan, 1995.  Worked on Daniel Kemmis' campaign for mayor of Missoula in 1993.  B.A. from the University of Montana, 1993.  Grew up in Boise, ID.


OPERATIONS
Chief Operating Officer
 Henry DeSio, Jr.
Initially served as deputy COO/chief of staff.  Founder (2001) and president of Way Forward Strategies, a sole proprietorship which supports progressive, pro-working family candidates and organizations.  Communications Workers of America.  B.A. in political science from U.C. Santa Barbara, 1984; M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, 2001.

Senior Advisor
 Betsy Myers
The campaign's initial chief operating officer (announced by KSG on Feb. 13, 2007 but started transitioning to the position on Jan. 19, 2007).  Previously at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government as executive director of the Center for Public Leadership and earlier as director of alumni programs and external relations at the Kennedy School.  Senior official in the Clinton Administration: served two years with the U.S. Small Business Administration as Associate Deputy Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development; launched and directed the first White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach, serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Women's Initiatives, 1995-97; director at the Office of Women's Business Ownership at the SBA.  Worked for six years building Myers Insurance and Financial Services based in Los Angeles.  MPA from the Kennedy School, 2000.  Sister of Dee Dee Myers, Clinton's first press secretary.

Deputy COO/Director of Field Operations Dan Jones
(started as a consultant in March 2007 and on staff starting in April 2007)  Field consultant for the Ohio AFL-CIO 2006.  Program leader with City Year Chicago 2005-06.  B.A. in history from Loyola University Chicago, 2005.
Deputy COO/Human Resources and Hdqtrs Management
 Jenn Clark

Headquarters Operations ("Operations West")
 Pete Dagher
Sought the Democratic nomination for Congress in Illinois' 5th CD in March 2002 (finished with less than 5% of the vote; seat won by Rahm Emanuel).  Worked in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel aiding the transition to the incoming Bush administration.  Special assistant to  U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater.  Director of operations and chief of staff on Clinton/Gore '96.  Worked at the DNC.  Worked on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in Little Rock starting in 1991.  Worked construction.  Degree in political science and history from the University of Illinois at Chicago, 1988.  Worked at Dominick's Finer Foods.  Grew up in the north side of Chicago and in Skokie.
Director of Correspondence Harry Kruglik
Worked in Obama's Senate office, Jan. 2005-March 2007, starting as a staff assistant and then as a legislative correspondent.  J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, 2004.  B.A. in international relations from Claremont McKenna College, 2001.  (Amy Lee Boonstra through June 2007).


IT ...individual and office technology (laptops, blackberry devices, printers) and procurement and support thereof.  Also internal application development (for example the Sharepoint sites for Policy and Legal, the delegate tracking system for the DNCC, the Financial Operations system used by the entire campaign as a BPM [business process management] to track purchasing requests/approvals). 
IT Director
 Rajeev Chopra
(Started volunteering at headquarters in April 2007; continued to help in a series of states during the primaries starting in Iowa, and started on staff in April 2008)  Senior systems engineer at the MIS Department, Inc., a Chicago-based IT consulting firm he founded in 1999.  Previously worked as a freelancer for about two years.  Systems analyst for the Andrew Corp. 

IT Support Manager
 Jeff Link
(March 2007  ...Link also led internal application development in QuickBase)  Server support engineer and abuse department coordinator at FastServers.net, 2005-07.  President and CEO of IntraHost Communications, Inc., a webhosting and design business; started in 1999 and sold in Oct. 2007.  B.S. in business computer systems from Bradley University, 2005.
IT Special Projects Manager
 Mark Jablonowski
(May 2007)  Started on the campaign as the IT director for the NH primary, and later traveled the country working on state IT operations.  Did technical consulting and served as IT manager at Tony Knowles for US Senate, 2004.  Started studies at Colby College in Waterville, ME in 2006 but took leave.  Native of Anchorage, AK.
Regional IT / Special Projects
 Martin Cuellar
(April 2008)  Director of professional services at InStranet, Inc., 2007-08.  Sales manager, business analyst at Meridio, 2005-07.  Technologist for Wisconsin Victory 2004.  Senior project manager at Kanisa, 2003-04.  Senior project manager at Ask Jeeves, 2000-03.  Senior manager of implementation at Brigade, 2000.  Implementation manager at Logistix, 1996-2000.  Technical support specialist at Apple, 1992-96.  B.A. in political science, business administration from University of Texas at Austin, 1992.

    Regional IT Directors  >
Help Desk Manager and Purchasing
 Alberto Manrique
Client technical services-technology group intern for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 2006-07.  Attended University of Illinois.

Help Desk Team: Fernando Galvan, Shane Hable, Drew Hulburt

Telecom 
Telecommunications Manager
 Toniann Liotta
(Also purchasing manager during primaries)Project coordinator at CrossCom National LLC.  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

More Telecom: Arthur Jordan (also did some Help Desk), Matt Schaub

Travel
Director of Travel Operations
 Jacob Roddy
Program management coordinator at Pearson Government Solutions.  Graduate of the University of Kansas.



CFO
Chief Financial Officer Marianne Markowitz
International treasury/financial operations consultant for Syngenta, Inc., 2000-02.  Previously treasury and risk manager for Express Scripts, Inc. for two years. "Markowitz has an extensive history as a treasury and risk analyst for Midwestern based companies."  M.B.A. from DePaul University; B.S. in business administration from the University of Missouri.
Deputy CFO/Budget
 Aditya Kumar
(assumed this position in May 2008; previously the campaign's director of financial strategy starting in Aug. 2007)  M.B.A. from Stanford University, 2007.  Business analyst at McKinsey & Company, 2003-05.  Undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, 2003.
Controller/Financial Operations Director
 Allyson Laackman
(started first part of 2008)  Independent financial consultant, 1997-2001.  CFO at IFX Corp, Sept. 1992-1997.  Auditor at Arthur Andersen, 1981-92.  A.B. and Master's in accountancy science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Budget Manager Elise Kohn
Vice president of global leveraged finance at Merrill Lynch.  Summer associate at Latham & Watkins.  J.D. from New York University School of Law.  Undergraduate degree from New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
Accounting Manager
 Duncan DuClos
(started Feb. 2007) Operations manager at MetroPro Corporation, 2002-06.  Senior portfolio accounting analyst at Northern Trust, 1999-2002.  From Gurnee, Illinois.
Payroll and Benefits Manager
 Andrew Cole
(Sept. 2007 "HR generalist and payroll specialist with significant experience moving massive numbers of staff on short notice and with frequency.")  B.A. in English writing, theater (communications) from DePauw University, 2007.

Reconciliation Specialist - Nick Morgan
Deputy CFO/Compliance
 Treshawn Shields
Assistant controller at the DCCC, 2003-07.  Accounting manager at EMILY's List, 1999-2003.  Bachelor's degree in accounting from Clark Atlanta University, 1998.
Compliance Manager
 Alexa Chappell



POLITICAL
Political Director
 Patrick Gaspard
(announced June 18, 2008)  Prior to joining the campaign, Gaspard was executive vice president of politics and legislation for Local 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.  In 2006 he served as acting political director for SEIU international.  National field director for America Coming Together, 2004.  Acting field director on Howard Dean's South Carolina primary campaign.  1199 SEIU deputy director.  Chief of staff to New York City Council member Margarita Lopez.  Worked on David Dinkins' 1989 campaign for Mayor of New York City, then worked for four years for Mayor Dinkins in advance and political, and on Dinkins' unsucessful 1993 re-election effort.  Helped on Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign.  Studied at Columbia University School of General Studies, 1994-97.  Born in Haiti.

    Regional Political Directors >

Constituency Director
 Brian Bond
Executive director of the DNC's Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council.  Executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund from 1997 to 2003.  DNC director of LGBT outreach in 1996.  Native of Missouri.


Latino Vote Director
 Cuauhtemoc "Temo" Figueroa
The campaign's national field director during the primaries (from Feb. 2007).  Assistant political director at AFSCME; Figueroa oversaw the union's independent expenditure program during the 2006 elections.  Administrator of AFSCME Council 18, New Mexico.  Directed the Coordinated Campaign in New Mexico in 2000.  Director of policy and communications for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).  Worked eight years for U.S. Rep. George Brown (CA).  Degree in history from UCLA; started out at Riverside Community College.  From California.

Deputy Director for the Latino Vote Program
 Stephanie Valencia
Taking leave from her position as press secretary to U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (CO).   Worked in the Office of the Democratic Caucus Vice Chair doing press and Hispanic outreach and as press secretary to U.S. Rep. John Larson (CT).  Press secretary for U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA), 2005-06.  Graduate of Boston College, 2004.  Grew up in Las Cruces, NM.
 
Deputy Director for the Latino Vote Program
 Carlos Odio
Odio was active in NYC4Obama and Brooklyn for Barack, served as deputy Latino outreach coordinator during the Iowa caucuses and also worked on the campaign in Colorado.  Communications manager at AlleyCorp, 2006-07.  Communications consultant at Leadership Initiatives, 2004-06; director of marketing and public relations at GALA Hispanic Theatre, 2004-05.  Graduate of American University.
National Latino Outreach Director
 Elisa Montoya
Attorney at Akin Gump in Washington, DC.  Special assistant to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.  Legislative counsel in the Washington, DC office of U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar.  Director of technology and economic opportunity policy for the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign.  Legislative counsel to U.S. Sen. Harry Reid.  Special projects coordinator for U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra.  Worked in the law office of Masry and Vititoe focusing on environmental litigation.  Law degree and master's degree in communication management from the University of Southern California; bachelor's degree in American studies from Stanford University.  From Santa Fe, NM.


African American Vote Director
 Rick Wade
(announced as a senior advisor on May 24, 2007)  Vice president of business development for Palmetto GBA, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina.  Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 2002, obtaining about 44 percent of the vote.  Senior associate at Fowler Communications.  State director of the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Services (announced by Gov. Hodges in Jan. 1999, served through May 2002).  Other experience includes senior manager at Hoffmann-La Roche pharmaceutical company in New Jersey, analyst for the S.C. House Ways & Means Committee, executive assistant to the president of University of South Carolina and chief of staff for former Lt. Gov. Nick Theodore.  MPA from the Kennedy School of Government, 1997.  B.S. from the University of South Carolina.  Native of Lancaster, SC.
 

Jewish Vote Director/Advisor on Mideast Policy
 Eric Lynn
(July 2007)  Associate at Patton Boggs.  Senior legislative assistant to then Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-FL).

Senior Policy Advisor/Jewish Outreach Coordinator
 Daniel Shapiro
(official staff role announced Aug. 19, 2008; started advising the campaign in 2007 on Middle East policy and Jewish community issues)  Vice president at Timmons and Company.  Legislative director, then deputy chief of staff to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), 2001-07.  Director for Legislative Affairs at the National Security Council, 1999-2001.  Aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), 1995-99.  Aide to former Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Lee Hamilton (D-IN).  Master's degree in Middle Eastern politics from Harvard University, 1993.  Undergraduate degree from Brandeis University, 1991.  Born and raised in Champaign, Illinois.


Asian American and Pacific Islander Vote Director
 Charmaine Manansala
State director for the New Mexico Blue Team.  Strategist for Guam delegate Robert Underwood, 2005-06.  Policy adviser for Speaker Nancy Pelosi from 2003-05.  Filipina.

Deputy AAPI Vote Director Betsy Kim
Moved over to the campaign from the DNC American Majority Project (started in 2005).  Counselor to the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration during the Clinton administration (political appointee).  Practiced bankruptcy law at firms in Washington, DC and Phoenix, AZ, 1993-96.  J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law, and B.A. from Pomona College.  Originally from Honolulu, HI.
First Americans Vote Director
 Wizipan Garriott
(Native American outreach coordinator since Sept. 2007)  Sicangu Lakota (Rosebud Sioux).  Has incorporated the He Sapa Leadership Academy, a Native American preparatory school.  Law degree from University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in Tucson, 2008.  Graduate of Yale University with a degree in American studies, 2003.
First Americans Vote Deputy Director
 Nicole Willis
Nez Perce Yakima Cayuse Oglala Lakota.  J.D. from Columbia University, 2008.  B.A. in History from Yale, 2005.


Ethnic Vote Director
 David Burd
(started July 2008)  Previously an associate at Arnold & Porter LLP; started in Nov. 2006.  Burd served as national coordinator of Young Lawyers for Obama starting in Feb. 2007.  Briefly on the staff of Congressman Eliot Engel in 2003; field staffer on McCall for Governor in 2002.  J.D. from Harvard Law School, 2006.  B.A. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and B.S. in management from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, 2002.


LGBT Vote Director
 David Noble
Director of public policy and government affairs at the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.  Executive director of Stonewall Democrats in the 2004 cycle.  Native of Rhode Island.


Disablity Vote Director
 Kareem Dale
(effective July 14, 2008; announced July 21; earlier served as a volunteer on the Disability Policy and the Arts Policy Committees for the campaign)  Founder and chief executive officer of The Dale Law Group (DLG) in Chicago.  Bachelor's degree in advertising from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; law degree and MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999.  Native Chicagoan.  Partially blind.


Rural Vote Director
 Todd Campbell
Started on the campaign as a regional field director in Nevada, then worked in Colorado, Nebraska, Texas and Oregon.  Worked on Jon Tester's 2006 U.S. Senate campaign in Montana.  B.A. in philosophy and religion from Buena Vista University.  From Sac City, Iowa.

Rural Vote Deputy Director David Lazarus
Agriculture legislative assistant to Sen. Dick Durbin (IL); started working for Durbin as a legislative correspondent in 2005.  Began on Capitol Hill as a paid intern for Rep. Brian Baird.  Graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Illinois native.
    Agricultural Leaders Endorse Barack Obama for President (Sept. 18, 2008)


Veterans Director
 Phillip Carter
Associate in McKenna Long & Aldridge's New York City   Served as an officer in the U.S. Army, including nine years of active and reserve service with military police and civil affairs units; Iraq veteran.  J.D. from UCLA School of Law, 2004; B.A. from UCLA, 1997.

Deputy Veterans Director
 Jonathan Freeman
(May 2008)  Officer in the U.S. Army, 2004-08, including service in Iraq.  At Harvard, 2002-04 including nine months as a teaching fellow.  Internet marketing director at Cross Media Marketing, 2000-02.  Director of partnerships and marketing alliances at USA Global Link, 1997-2000.  B.A. in political science and communication studies from the University of Michigan, 1997.  
    Next Generation Veterans for Obama (announced Aug. 18)
Women for Obama
National Women's Field Director
 Becky Carroll
(started Oct. 2007)  Came to the campaign from position as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Blagojevich; started working for Blagojevich in early 2003.  Worked on Rahm Emanuel's successful campaign for Congress in 2002.  Spokesperson for the 2000 Illinois Democratic Coordinated campaign.  Spokesperson for Chicago Department of Planning and Development.  Press secretary on Chicago lawyer John Schmidt's 1998 gubernatorial primary campaign.  Public relations director for the Chicago Department of Housing.  Assistant communications director of the Mayor Daley's 1995 re-election campaign.  Undergraduate degree in political science and communications from Loyola University Chicago, 1994.  Native of Chicago.
Chair, Women for Obama - Betsy Myers, Obama for America COO
Women's Policy Advisor - Judy Gold, Partner at Perkins, Coie; former chair, Illinois Commission on the Status of Women.
Deputy Women's Vote Director
 Natalia Sorgente
National director of ballot access and delegate selection on Bill Richardson's presidential campaign.  J.D. from New York University School of Law, 1996; undergraduate degree from Harvard University, 1992.

Senior Advisor
 Dana Singiser
(announced July 11, 2008)  Director of Women’s Outreach for the Hillary Clinton for President.  Staff director of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee chaired by Sen. Clinton, started in 2004.  Deputy political director for Gov. Howard Dean’s campaign.  Served in the Clinton White House and at the Department of Commerce.  Florida deputy state director in 1996; field staffer on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign in Vermont. [PDF]

 
Director of Religious Affairs Joshua DuBois
Legislative correspondent in Obama's Senate office from 2005-07.  MPA from Princeton, 2005.  Undergraduate degree from Boston University.

Deputy Director of Religious Affairs Paul Montero
Previously at a law firm in Washington, DC. 

Catholic Outreach Coordinator
 Mark Linton
(started late March/beginning of April 2008 focusing on Pennsylvania)  Aide to Obama in his Senate office.  Previously worked for Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

Evangelical Outreach Coordinator
 Shaun Casey
Associate professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.  B.A. from Abilene Christian University; M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School; M.P.A. from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government; Th.D. from Harvard Divinity School.

Muslim Outreach Coordinator
 Minha Husaini
(succeeded Mazen Asbahi, the Chicago-based attorney who initially held the position but resigned)  International development consultant with UNICEF in Banda Aceh, Indonesia and earlier project coordinator for tsunami reconstruction efforts with Gemma9 in Banda Aceh.  Healthcare e-commerce supply chain analyst with Neoforma, Inc..  Masters in health and public administration from the University of Southern California; undergraduate degree in political science from UC Irvine.


Youth Vote Director Leigh Arsenault
Started as a college organizer based in Keene on the NH primary campaign; later worked on the Oregon primary campaign.  Worked on state legislative races in Vermont.  Graduate of Middlebury College.  Native of upstate New York.

and   Voter registration - Jason Green  /  Special projects - Mike Moffo  (see Field)


On September 16, 2007 the campaign announced its National Advisory Outreach Team ("work with Senator Obama and his campaign team to ensure that the campaign platform is inclusive of the ideas of all groups.")

Preeta Bansal, AAPI Outreach
Assemblywoman Karen Bass, African American Outreach
Rep. Gwen Moore, African American Outreach
Jim Zogby, Arab American Outreach
Reverend Willie Barrow, Faith Outreach
Reverend Joseph Lowery, Faith Outreach
Rep. Robert Wexler, Jewish Outreach
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Latino Outreach
Majority Leader Gloria Romero, Latino Outreach
Stampp Corbin, LGBT Outreach
Tobias Wolff, LGBT Outreach
Wizipan Garriott, Native American Outreach
General Scott Gration, Veteran Outreach
John Hurley, Veteran Outreach
          On Nov. 12, 2007 the campaign announced its National Veterans Advisory Committee.
        On Nov. 15, 2007 the campaign announced endorsements of technology leaders.
        On Dec. 4, 2007 the campaign announced its African American Religious Leadership Committee.
also note: Mazen Asbahi, a Chicago lawyer, served v. briefly as Arab-American and Muslim-American coordinator, a volunteer position, July 26-Aug. 4, 2008


 

FIELD                                                                                                                                     
National Field Director
 Jon Carson
Previously Voter Contact Director (reported by Lynn Sweet.  "Obama shakes up his campaign staff."  Chicago Sun-Times.  October 11, 2007)  Initially Illinois State Director (reported by Lynn Sweet.  "Obama's Illinois operation. Campaign to launch "'Camp Obama'"  Chicago Sun-Times.  May 3, 2007)  Managed Tammy Duckworth's 2006 general election campaign in Illinois' 6th CD.  Served in the Peace Corps.  Worked for South Carolina Democrats in the 2002 cycle, helping to target African-American voters.  Director of the Wisconsin Senate Democratic Caucus from Feb. to Aug. 2001.  A regional field organizer on Al Gore's 2000 Iowa caucus campaign.  Worked on Russ Feingold's 1998 U.S. Senate campaign.  Graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in civil engineering.  From La Crosse, WI.

Deputy National Field Director
 Jake Braun
Earlier in the cycle, Braun, based in Chicago, did some consulting for Chris Dodd's presidential campaign.  He headed up John Kerry's Dubuque office during the 2003-04 Iowa caucus campaign and served as field director on the Michigan Coordinated Campaign in the Fall.  Worked on local campaigns in Dubuque in 2002.  From Omaha.
Deputy National Field Director/National Director of Special Projects Mike Moffo
Field director on the Jan. 19 Nevada caucus campaign; field director on the Feb. 5 New Mexico campaign; regional field director in San Antonio for the March 4 Texas primary/precinct conventions and statewide co-field director for the March 29 county conventions; early vote director for the North Carolina primary; after the primaries Moffo was part of the team that worked to retool the field organization for the general election.  In 2006 Moffo served as field/GOTV consultant for the DCCC, and briefly as field director on Tom Suozzi's 2006 campaign for governor in New York.  Strategic planning role (online organizing and targeting for field and paid voter contact) on Jon Corzine's 2005 campaign for governor in New Jersey.  In the 2003-04 cycle, Moffo was a field staffer on Kerry's Iowa caucus campaign in the Sioux City office, then field director on the Feb. 3 Delaware primary campaign, for the Feb. 14 Washington, DC caucuses, and for the March 9 Louisiana primary; in the general election he was field director for the Arizona Democratic Coordinated Campaign; and finally he served as a field consultant on the Christine Gregoire for Governor re-count team.  Graduate of Boston University.
50-State Voter Registration Director Jason Green
Formerly Obama for America political and field staff, including Northwest regional field director in Nevada and Charlotte regional field director in North Carolina.  Third-year law student at Yale.  In 2006 Green served as religious outreach director in Prince George's County, MD on Martin O'Malley's gubernatorial campaign; he also worked on the Kerry campaign in 2004.  Undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis.  Son of a minister.

Battleground States Director
 Jennifer O'Malley Dillon
(started April 2008)  Deputy campaign manager on John Edwards for President after serving as state director on his Iowa caucus campaign.  Campaign manager on Rep. Jim Davis' 2006 gubernatorial campaign in Florida.  Deputy campaign manager for Sen. Tom Daschle's 2004 Senate re-election campaign in South Dakota.  Field director on Sen. Edwards' 2003-04 Iowa caucus campaign.  In 2002 O'Malley served as field director for the South Dakota Democratic Coordinated Campaign, then as field director for Sen. Mary Landrieu's runoff campaign.  In 2001 she was campaign manager for St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.  In 1999-2000 O'Malley was volunteer coordinator for Gore in the NH primary, then worked as a field organizer in New York and Pennsylvania, and in the general election, she was regional field director for the Missouri Coordinated Campaign in the St. Louis Metro area.  O'Malley is a 1998 graduate of Tufts University and hails from Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts.


PODS
INDUSTRIAL MIDWEST
Industrial States Regional Director
 Paul Dioguardi
Left position as national development director of the Democratic Governors' Association to join the campaign.  Executive vice president/acting CEO of the ONE Campaign, 2005-July 2007.  National field director for DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), 2003-05.  Dioguardi has worked on three presidential campaigns and numerous other national, state and local political and issue based campaigns.  Field director on the 2002 Ohio Democratic Coordinated Campaign.  Chief of staff/special assistant, congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, 1999-2001.  Massachusetts state director on Gore 2000.  M.P.A. from Harvard University, 2002; B.A. in political science from Boston College, 1992.


MIDWEST
IMidwest Regional Director
 Bill Hyers
Campaign manager on Jeanne Shaheen's U.S. Senate campaign in New Hampshire from Nov. 2007-July 2008.  State director on former Sen. John Edwards' Nevada caucus campaign.  Campaign manager on Michael Nutter for Mayor May 2007 Democratic primary campaign in Philadelphia.  Campaign manager for Kristen Gillibrand’s successful 2006 congressional campaign in New York’s 20th district, defeating the incumbent Republican congressman.  In Fall 2004, Hyers worked as the Coordinated Campaign Director in Alaska.  Central Iowa regional field director on Edwards' 2003-04 Iowa caucus campaign.  State field director for the Judi Dutcher for Governor primary campaign and then regional director for the Minnesota State House DFL Caucus in the 2002 cycle.  Worked on a number of local campaigns in Duluth and Minneapolis starting in 2001.  Before entering the political field, Hyers served in the U.S. Army, 1993-98; as a Military Police soldier; he was stationed in Bosnia during Operation Joint Endeavor.  B.A. in political science from St. Cloud State University in  MN.  Illinois native.


NORTHEAST
Northeast Regional Director
 Eureka Gilkey
Gilkey started as the campaign's deputy political director in Chicago and later served as Georgia state director and North Carolina political director.  National training director for EMILY's List during the 2006 cycle.  Deputy political director of NARAL Pro-Choice America during the 2004 election cycle.  PAC coordinator at the AFL-CIO during the 2002 election cycle.  Message and polling coordinator at the DNC.  Gilkey has worked on several campaigns, including Diane E. Watson for Congress (CA-32) and Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate in Texas.  First job out of college was political assistant at EMILY's List.  Graduate of Howard University.  Texas native.  [Note. As national training director for EMILY's List, Gilkey collaborated with Obama's Leadership PAC, Hopefund, to launch "Yes We Can" -- a training program for young African American and Hispanic activists].


WEST
West Regional Director Matt Rodriguez
State director on Obama's NH primary campaign.  In 2006 Rodriguez ran Kevin de León's successful campaign for Assembly in California's 45th District (Los Angeles).  District director for Rep. Marty Meehan in Lowell, Mass.  Campaign manager for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)'s 2004 re-election campaign.  Deputy political director on Dick Gephardt's campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination and previously at Gephardt's leadership PAC, the Effective Government Committee.  A year as a volunteer teacher in Roxbury, Mass.  Ran the 2nd CD for Sen. Bill Bradley's 2000 NH primary campaign.  Volunteer teacher with the Jesuit Corps in Roxbury, Mass. for three years.  Graduate of Holy Cross University with a degree in Spanish.


SOUTH
Southern Regional Director
 Jonathan Samuels
Deputy director of floor operations in the office of House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn starting in Jan. 2007.  Worked for Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) for about nine years, including field director on her campaign in 1997-98, legislative assistant, legislative director, and deputy chief of staff/communications director.  B.A. from Michigan State University, 1997.  From Evanston, IL.


SOUTHWEST
Southwest Regional Director
 Justine Sarver
Organizing director for ACLU of Northern California starting in 2006.  Vice president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, 2003-06.  Graduate of the University of Michigan.


    Regional Field Directors >

Key Consultant: Ken Strasma, Strategic Telemetry

National Data Director (Consultant): Dan Langer, Data Farm Consulting (Evansville, WI)

    Regional Data Directors >
National Phonebank Coordinator
 Nicole Aro
(The campaign's "Last Call for Change"  focused on phone banks in non-targeted states calling into battleground states)  Earlier in the fall served as a new media field representative; started on the campaign in July 2007 as the volunteer coordinator for the South Carolina primary.  Special education teacher in Philadelphia through June 2007.  B.A. from University of Chicago, 2005.



 COMMUNICATIONS
Senior Advisor Anita Dunn
("overseeing the campaign’s communications, research, and policy departments")  Principal at Squier Knapp Dunn; joined the firm in 1993 after working for Sen. Bill Bradley.  Media consultant to Sen. Evan Bayh's All America PAC in 2006 and developed strategy and produced the media for Bayh's 2004  re-election campaign.  Senior political advisor to Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, 2001-02.  Took leave from the firm in 1999 to serve as communications director and chief strategist for Sen. Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign.  Communications and political director and then chief of staff to Sen. Bill Bradley.  Communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) for the 1988 and 1990 election cycles.  Cmmunications director for U.S. Rep. Bob Edgar’s 1984 congressional and 1986 senatorial campaigns.  Press assistant on Sen. John Glenn’s 1984 campaign.  Began her career in politics working for White House Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan under President Jimmy Carter.


Communications Director
 Dan Pfeiffer
(elevation to communications director announced July 15, 2008)  Initially traveling press secretary, then deputy communications director.  Communications director for Sen. Evan Bayh's All America PAC (started Sept. 2006); came to the PAC from Bayh's Senate office, where he started in 2005.  Deputy campaign manager on Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's unsuccessful re-election campaign in 2004.  Worked on Sen. Tim Johnson's (D-SD) successful 2002 re-election campaign.  Communications director at the Democratic Governors Association.

Deputy Communications Director
 Josh Earnest
Communications director on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign.  Communications director on Tom Vilsack's presidential campaign (Dec. 2006-Feb. 2007).  Communications director for Jim Davis' 2006 campaign for governor in Florida.  In 2003-05, Earnest worked in the communications department at the DNC serving as regional media director in the 2004 cycle and as press secretary in 2005 and early 2006.  Communications director for Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR); he was Berry's deputy campaign manager during his successful 2002 re-election campaign.  Media assistant at Squier-Knapp-Dunn.  Before moving to Washington, DC, Earnest worked in the Houston office of Varoga & Rice (now known as Varoga, Rice & Shalett) as an account executive.  Graduate of Rice University, 1997.
 

National Press Secretary / Spokesman Bill Burton
(from Jan. 2007)  Communications director at the DCCC for the 2006 cycle (started March 2005).  Came to the DCCC from the office of Sen. Richard Durbin (IL). Served as a Regional Communications Director on John Kerry's presidential campaign.  Press Secretary for Rep. Dick Gephardt's Iowa caucus campaign.  Press secretary to Sen. Tom Harkin, 2001-03.  Earlier worked for U.S. Rep. Bill Luther.  Originally from Buffalo, NY.

Deputy Press Secretary

Moira Mack
(managing the candidate’s national interview requests)  Most recently at Hildebrand Tewes Consulting for three years.  Researcher and program coordinator at Campaign for America's Future.  Graduate of The George Washington University.  Native of Albany, NY.

Deputy Press Secretary

Nick Shapiro
Communications director on the Oregon primary campaign, spokesman on the campaign in Texas, also did press on the California primary campaign.  In Fall 2004 regional press desk at the DNC, then deployed to Nevada for the close of the campaign.  Worked at Deveney Communication.  Graduate of Tulane University.

[title unclear]
 Ben LaBolt
Joined the campaign in Aug. 2007.  Press secretary in Obama's Senate office starting in Feb. 2007.  Spokesman on U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown’s successful 2006 U.S. Senate campaign.  Aide to U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.  Regional director in Portsmouth on Howard Dean's 2004-04 New Hampshire primary campaign.  2003 graduate of Middlebury College with a degree in political science.  President of College Democrats at Middlebury, 2001-03.  Native of LaGrange, Illinois.


Senior Advisor / Traveling Spokeswoman Linda Douglass
(late May 2008)  Thirty-five years working as a journalist.  Douglass left her position as a contributing editor at National Journal to join the campaign.  Capitol Hill correspondent for ABC News through 2006; started as congressional correspondent in Feb. 1998 and was named chief Capitol Hill correspondent in Dec. 2000.  ABC News Justice Department correspondent starting in Jan. 1997.  Joined CBS News in 1993 as a Washington-based correspondent; covered politics and general assignment stories.  Political reporter for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.  Political editor at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, 1983-85. L os Angeles based correspondent for CBS News, 1981-83.  Political editor at KCBS, 1975-80.  Started as a researcher on the assignment desk at KCBS in 1973.  B.A. in psychology from the University of Southern California.

Traveling Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Initially deputy press secretary.  Spokeswoman at the DCCC in the 2006 cycle.  Communications director to Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY).  In Fall 2004 worked on the Kerry campaign doing press for the Kerry/Heinz children.  Deputy communications director and earlier assistant to the state director on Sen. John Kerry's 2003-04 Iowa caucus campaign.  Field organizer for the Iowa Democratic Party's Coordinated Campaign in 2002.  Graduate of the College of William and Mary; studied English and sociology.  From Stamford, CT.
 

    Regional Communications Directors >


Communications Director for African American Media Corey Ealons
(announced July 21, 2008)  Comes to the campaign from position as deputy chief of staff and communications director for Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama. Ealons served as a regional political director for the Kerry/Edwards campaign.  In 2002 he managed Davis' successful congressional campaign, defeating incumbent Earl Hilliard.  Started in politics during the 2000 election cycle as a member of Sen. Bill Bradley's advance team.  Worked as an associate with Ketchum Communications, an international public relations firm with its Southeast headquarters in Atlanta.  Graduate of the University of Alabama, with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations.  Prior to university Ealons served in the U.S. Army with the 3rd United States Infantry, the Presidential Honor Guard in Washington, DC; he served as a photojournalist and public affairs specialist from 1992-96.


Communications Director for Hispanic Media
 Federico A. de Jesús
(announced late Aug. 2008; started Sept. 8, 2008)  Comes to the campaign from position as spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and has seven years experience on Capitol Hill. Worked as a press assistant, then press advisor in the House Office of the Minority Leader.  Staff assistant to Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY).  Started out in the office of Puerto Rico resident commissioner Anibal Acevedo Vila.  Graduate of American University.  Born in Puerto Rico.
Deputy Communications Director for Hispanic Media
 Noerena Limon
Associate director of budget and finance at the Democratic National Convention Committee in summer 2008.  Graduate studies in public policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.  Worked on City Year in Los Angeles.  CHCI fellow in the office of Congressman Xavier Becerra.  From Chino, CA.
Hispanic Media Director
 Vince Casillas
Previously an organizer for A+ Illinois, an effort to reform the quality and funding of public education.
Constituency Communications Coordinator
 Shin Inouye
(communications officer for a variety of campaign constituency groups, including: LGBT, AAPI, First Americans, Veterans and Military Families, Youth, Seniors, Faith, Jewish, Rural & Sportsmen, Americans with Disabilities, and Ethnic)  Before the campaign, Inouye was communications director for Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-8).  Prior to that, he was the senior legislative communications associate at the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union.  Degree in political science from the Johns Hopkins University. 

Deputy Press Secretary of Constituency Outreach
 Tiffany Edwards
With the campaign since 2007.  "Worked with the press staff at the DCCC."  Native of Long Island, NY.
Director of Surrogate Communications
 Dag Vega
(announced July 15, 2008; supervised the TV booking operation and managed the media outreach for elected officials and policy experts speaking on behalf of the campaign)  Moves over from position as radio and TV director at the DNC.  Deputy press secretary on the Kerry-Edwards campaign.  Deputy national spokesman for the Gore-Lieberman campaign.  Office manager, Office of the Press Secretary at the White House, 1998.

Deputy Director of Surrogate Press Joelle Terry
(announced July 15, 2008)  Previously surrogate press secretary on the campaign.  An associate in the Dewey Square Group’s Sacramento office since 2005.  Prior to joining DSG, Terry worked as an analyst with the Corporate Executive Board.  In 2004, Terry worked in the regional press office for the Kerry/Edwards presidential campaign, helping to execute rapid response press outreach for the Western Region; she also worked on the campaign’s national advance team. A legislative assistant to California State Assembly Member Reyes.  Did research and analysis for the California State Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and International Trade.  Degree in political science/international relations from UC San Diego.  Native of Sacramento, Calif..

National Security Spokesperson
 Wendy Morigi
(announced July 15, 2008) Joins the campaign from Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s staff where she served as communications director starting in the latter part of 2002.


Director of Message Events
 Katherine Lyons
During the presidential primaries, Lyons was New Hampshire deputy communications director and spokesperson in a number of other states.  Before joining the campaign, Lyons coordinated communications and grassroots strategies for Dewey Square Group in California.  B.A. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.  Native of Sacramento, California.


Director of Rapid Response
 Christina Reynolds
Research director and senior advisor for communications on former Sen. Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign.  Research director at the DCCC in the 2006 cycle.  Communications director for Sen. Tom Daschle's 2004 reelection campaign.  Research director on Sen. Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign (from Jan. 2003).  Research director for Sen. Tim Johnson's (D-SD) 2002 re-election campaign.  Deputy research director at the DNC.  Graduate of UNC at Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism.

Rapid Response
 Hari Sevugan
(started April 8, 2008 as senior spokesman)  Communications director on Sen. Chris Dodd's presidential campaign (started as deputy communications director in March 2007, then succeeded Beneva Schulte starting in May).  Communications director on the O'Malley-Brown gubernatorial campaign in Maryland starting in Feb. 2006.  Policy director for Tim Kaine's 2005 gubernatorial campaign.  Deputy policy director for Dan Hynes’ 2004 U.S. Senate primary campaign in Illinois, then deputy campaign manager for Dr. Daniel Mongiardo's U.S. Senate campaign in Kentucky.  Practiced securities law in Chicago for two years.  J.D. from Northwestern School of Law.  Two years as an award-winning school teacher in the Washington Heights community of New York as part of Teach for America.  Graduate of the University of Illinois, where he studied political science and finance.

Rapid Response
 Tommy Vietor
Press secretary on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign, then a deputy press secretary in Chicago.  Previously served as Obama's Senate press secretary starting in January 2005.  Deputy press secretary on Obama's 2004 Senate race.  Worked on John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign in the communications department in Raleigh.  Graduate of Kenyon College.



Director of Speechwriting Jon Favreau
Worked in Obama's Senate office.  Deputy director of speechwriting on the Kerry-Edwards campaign; started on John Kerry for President early on as national press assistant.  Graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester,  Mass., 2003 with a degree in political science; class valedictorian.  Worked as a press intern for Kerry in Spring 2001.  From North Reading, Mass.
 
Speechwriter Adam Frankel
Research assistant to Theodore Sorensen and completed a fellowship with the Office of Counter-terrorism at the State Department.  Speechwriter and led the speechwriting research team on the Kerry campaign (took leave from graduate studies at the London School of Economics to join the campaign) >.  Graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, 2003; he was president of the College Democrats, program director of Head Start, columnist for the Daily Princetonian, and a founder of the campus chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign.

Speechwriter Ben Rhodes
Special Assistant to President Lee H. Hamilton at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars starting in June 2002, and also a freelance speechwriter based in Washington, DC.  Author, with Hamilton and Thomas H. Kean, of Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission (Knopf, 2006).  Previously, he taught and worked in local politics in New York City.
Deputy Speechwriter
 Cody Keenan
(startingJune 2008)  Speechwriting intern in summer 2007.  M.P.P. from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, 2008.  Worked in the U.S. Senate from Sept. 2003-July 2006, starting as a staff assistant in the Office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, then moving over to the HELP Committee.  B.A. in political science from Northwestern University, 2002.


POLICY
Senior Policy Strategist Heather Higginbottom
Longtime aide to Sen. John Kerry (D-MA); announced as his legislative director in Feb. 2006.  Deputy national policy director on Kerry's presidential campaign, where she oversaw the development of all domestic policies for the primary and general elections.  Deputy legislative director in Kerry’s Washington Senate office, 1999-2003.  M.P.P. from the George Washington University School of Public Policy.  Undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester.
 

Director of Domestic Policy
 Neera Tanden
(July 2008)  Policy director on the Hillary Clinton for President campaign.  Senior vice president for academic affairs at the Center for American Progress.  Prior to joing the Center, she was legislative director for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Previously senior vice president for domestic policy for the Center for American Progress.  Issues director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).  Senior policy advisor to the Chancellor of the New York City Schools, Harold Levy.  Deputy campaign manager and policy director for Clinton's U.S. Senate campaign in 2000.  Senior policy advisor to the First Lady and associate director in the Domestic Policy Council during the Clinton Administration.  Law degree from Yale Law School; undergraduate degree from UCLA.

 
Deputy Policy Director Carlos Monje
Special assistant for policy and communications in Obama's Senate office.  Legislative assistant in Sen. Ken Salazar's Senate office.  Spokesman on Erskine Bowles' 2004 U.S. Senate campaign in North Carolina.  Worked on Sen. John Edwards' presidential campaign after serving as deputy press secretary in his Senate office.
 
 
Deputy Policy Director Danielle Gray
[including response to questionnaires]  Leave of absence from position as litigation associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.  Clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer October term 2005.  Worked on the policy staff of Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign.  Clerked for Judge Merrick Garland.  J.D. from Harvard Law School, 2003.  Undergraduate degree from Duke University.  Originally from Long Island.
 

Economic Policy Director
 Jason Furman
(June 10, 2008)  Taking leave of absence from position as senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and resigned from position as director of The Hamilton Project at Brookings; joined Brookings in Jan. 2007 after serving as a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  Visiting scholar at New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.  Director of economic policy for the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004 and earlier policy director on the Clark campaign.  Visiting lecturer in economics at Yale University and Columbia University.  Senior economic advisor on Gore-Lieberman campaign.  Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy in the Clinton Administration.  Senior economic adviser to the Chief Economist of the World Bank.  Staff economist at the Council of Economic Advisers.  Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University; also M.A. and B.A. from Harvard and M.Sc. from the London School of Economics.

Deputy Director of Economic Policy
 Brian Deese
Law degree from Yale Law School, 2008.  Senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress.  Research assistant at the Center for Global Development.  Junior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 
Economic Advisors

 
Policy Coordinator
 Lawrence E. Strickling
("oversaw two dozen domestic policy committees and was responsible for technology and telecommunications issues")  Prior to joining the campaign Strickling was chief regulatory and chief compliance officer at Broadwing Communications for three years.  Senior vice president at Allegiance Telecom.  Executive vice president and general counsel at CoreExpress.  Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau at the FCC, 1998-2000.  Associate general counsel and chief of the FCC's Competition Division.  Vice president, public policy at Ameritech.  Litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago.  J.D. from Harvard Law School.  Undergraduate degree in economic from the University of Maryland.


Senior Policy Associate
 Lisa Ellman
Leave of absence from Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw in Washington, DC.  M.P.P. and J.D. from the University of Chicago (Harris School and Law School), 2005.  Deputy policy director for Elizabeth Edwards during the 2004 Kerry-Edwards campaign.  Staff assistant in the office of Sen. Carl Levin.  Undergraduate degree in history from the University of Michigan.


National Security Coordinator Denis McDonough
(July 2007)  Senior fellow and senior advisor to Tom Daschle at the Center for American Progress.  Legislative director for Sen. Ken Salazar.  Foreign policy advisor to Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, July 2000-Dec. 2004.  Fellow with the Robert Bosch Foundation of Stuttgart, Germany.  Professional staff of the House International Relations Committee, 1996-99.  Master's degree from Georgetown University, 1996; undergraduate degree from St. John's University in Collegeville, MN, 1992.
National Security Mark Lippert
(on the campaign in Fall 2008)  Senior foreign policy advisor to Obama in the Senate starting in mid-2005.  A Navy reservist, Lippert was activated in June 2007; after three months of training he served in Iraq as an intelligence officer in the Navy SEALs and returned Obama's Senate office for June-July 2008.  Professional staff on the Senate Appropriations Committee, 2001 to May 2005.  Research assistant to Sen. Patrick Leahy, 2000-01.  Democratic Policy Committee staffer for two years.  Aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein; interned for Sen. Tom Daschle.  Undergraduate degree in political science, 1996 and M.A. in international policy studies, 1997 from Stanford University.  Originally from Cincinnati.

Senior Working Group on National Security (June 18, 2008)
Policy Advisors (Nov. 2007)  

See: Elisabeth Bumiller.  "A Cast of 300 Advises Obama on Foreign Policy."  New York Times.  July 18, 2008.  Bumiller describes "a huge 300-person foreign policy campaign bureaucracy" that is "divided into 20 teams based on regions and issues."



 
CONTENT AND ISSUES
Content and Issues Director Dan Carol
(May 2008)  Candidate for chair of the Oregon Democratic Party in 2007.  Co-founder of Green Harvest Technologies, June 2005.  A founder of the Apollo Alliance, 2001.  Founding partner of CTSG (Carol/Trevelyan Strategy Group), a progressive consulting firm based in Washington, DC, and Eugene, OR, Feb. 1993-May 2005.  Formed Ollie-PAC (Operation Last Laugh Independent Expenditure) to oppose Oliver North's 1994 bid for U.S. Senate in Virginia.  Research director at the DNC, July 1989-Jan. 1993.  Presidential management fellow, 1983-85.  Master's in regional planning from UNC Chapel Hill, 1983.  B.A. from the University of Michigan, 1980.
Deputy Director of Content Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean
Previously worked as a research and communications strategist at CNBC and as vice president at IMS, Inc., a research consulting firm.  Jarvis-Shean studied at the University of Cape Town and was the fifth generation of her family to attend the University of California, Berkeley, from which she graduated with a degree in political science.  Native of Sacramento, California.

RESEARCH
Research Director Devorah Adler
(reported by Lynn Sweet on Jan. 11, 2007; started on the campaign on Jan. 24)  Research director at the DNC in the 2006 cycle (starting Sept. or Oct. 2005 through Jan. 23).  Previously deputy research director at the DNC under Mike Gehrke.  At the DSCC in 2004.  Policy director for Ron Kirk’s 2002 U.S. Senate race.  Special Assistant in the Office of the Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle.  Has also worked for Nancy Pelosi.  Associate Director for Health Policy (Domestic Policy Council) in the Clinton Administration.  Graduate of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
 
Deputy Research Director Shauna Daly
(reported by Lynn Sweet on Jan. 11, 2007)  Deputy research director at the DNC in the 2006 cycle.  Research director on Gifford Miller for Mayor, 2005.  Research director on Betty Castor for U.S. Senate, 2004.  Researcher on John Edwards presidential campaign, 2003-04.  Researcher on Tim Johnson for U.S. Senate, 2002.  Bachelor's degree from Smith College, 2001.


More Content/Research: Lauren Lowenstein, Rafael Viturro, Nick Hackworth, Pat Hart, David Wade, Jay Millikan, John Burton, Will Burns, Margaret Olmos, Katharine Murtha, Rebecca Parks, Nick Bauer, John Zwier.


 

NEW MEDIA
New Media Director Joe Rospars
On leave from Blue State Digital where he is a founding partner.  Part of Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign Internet team, where he wrote and edited emails and also worked on message development, online brand building, and grassroots organizing.  Prior to the campaign, he taught English in Stockholm, Sweden and wrote for NotGeniuses.com, a political blog.  Bachelor's degree in political science from The George Washington University.  Originally from Long Island.
 
Deputy New Media Director Macon Phillips
(managing the day to day operations of the campaign's online program)  As director of Blue State Digital's Strategy Practice, Phillips developed online programs for clients such as Sen. Ted Kennedy, the DNC and Wal-Mart Watch, including email narrative development, outreach and promotion, online advertising strategy, and website structure and content development.  Prior to joining Blue State, he developed information management networks for various Vermont-based businesses.  A.B. in sociology from Duke University.  Originally from Huntsville, Alabama.


ORGANIZING
Director of Online Organizing Chris Hughes
(Feb. 2007...my.BarackObama.com)  Hughes left Facebook, which he co-founded with classmates Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz in 2004, to join the campaign.  He graduated from Harvard with a degree in 2006, before moving to Palo Alto to work at Facebook.  Originally from Hickory, NC. 

External Online Director Scott Goodstein
("develops all of the social networking platforms and mobile programs for Obama for America")  Formed Catalyst Campaigns (sole proprietorship) in 1995 and has worked on numerous campaigns ranging from Punk Voter to Operation Ceasefire.  B.A. and an M.P.A. from The American University School of Public Affairs.

New Media Field Manager Judith Freeman
(July 2008, on leave from NOI - coordinating field and new media)  Co-founder and director of the New Organizing Institute.  Senior political strategist at the AFL-CIO, where she also co-founded the Analyst Institute.  Director of information technology for Working America at the AFL-CIO.  An online organizer on the Kerry campaign in 2004.  Network engineer and systems programmer for the Network Security Center at the University of Chicago for five years.
New Media Field Representative
 Anne Marie Ashburn
(traveling around the country to train staff and volunteers on new media technology)  Degree in political science from the University of Portland.

Amy Hamblin - (June 2007)  Graduate of Northwestern University, 2007.
Nikki Sutton - Recent graduate of Middlebury College.
Keith Goodman -
Nicole Aro - Finished the campaign as nataional phonebank coordinator  >
James Hupp - (July 2008)  eCampaigns associate at M+R Strategic Services, 2007-08.  Account executive at the Hawthorn Group, 2005-06.  B.A. in philosophy and political science from Northwestern University, 2004 (interned for a couple of months on the Senate campaign).
Emily Murphy - Graduate of Middlebury College with a degree in Mandarin Chinese.
Martha Schneider - (Aug. 2007)  Intern in the office of Sen. Obama 2006-07.  A.B. in public policy from the University of Chicago, 1999.
Haley van Dyck -

  
    Regional New Media Directors >


CONTENT/BLOG OUTREACH
Director of Blogging and Blog Outreach
 Sam Graham-Felsen
Writer for The Nation magazine, 2004-07.  Degree in social studies from Harvard University, 2004.  Grew up in Boston.

Bloggers:
Christopher Hass - (deputy content lead)
Amanda Scott - (Feb. 2008)  Communications specialist at the American Red Cross, 2006-08.  Graduate of Anderson University, 2007.
Laurin Manning - Started as director of political operations on the South Carolina primary campaign (put USC law school studies on hold for the campaign).  Ran the LaurinLine blog from July 2002 to Jan. 2007 and also created the South Carolina '08 site, a community site devoted to presidential politics in the Palmetto State.  Served on the staff of U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings.  Graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg.
Molly Claflin - (June 2008)  Law degree from Stanford University, 2008; B.A. in political science from the University of Southern California, 2004.

New Media Rapid Response Manager
 Cammie Croft
(oversaw efforts to integrate new media and communications, including managing websites such as FighttheSmears.com and UndertheRadar.com)  Before joining the campaign, Croft built the tracking and media monitoring program at Progressive Accountability, a rapid-response communications advocacy campaign that provided video of Republican Presidential candidates for the mass public. Croft also worked as the rapid response mobilization director for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, where she led their new media efforts.  B.A. in political science and communication from the University of Washington in Seattle.


E-MAIL
Director of Email
 Stephen Geer
(May 2007) Manager of online advocacy at the Center for American Progress, 2005-07.  Director of online operations at the Children's Defense Fund, 2002-05.  Webmaster for the College of Arts and Sciences at American University, 2001-02.  Studied English and computer science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and electrical engineering at Cornell University. 1, 2

Will Bunnett - (March 2008)  Web content producer for the Rockridge Institute (cognitive linguistics) and for Woolsey for Congress.  A.M. in political behavior from the University of Chicago, 2007; B.S.F.S in Culture & Politics, 2003.
Sam Drzymala - Research assistant at the Glover Park Group through June 2007.  Graduate of the Washington University in St. Louis, 2006.
Marie Ewald - (July 2008 - point person on national e-mail/fundraising)  Vice president at M+R Strategic Services, 2005-08.  Graduate of Stanford University, 2001.
Tim Fullerton - (Aug. 2008 - state/regional e-mail manager)  Public policy and information associate at the Electric Drive Transportation Association, 2001-05.  Degree in political science from Dickinson College, 2001.
Nathaniel Lubin - Junior at Harvard; headed the Harvard for Obama group.
Dan McSwain - (March 2008)  Music director at AccuRadio.com, Aug. 2005-Feb. 2008.  Graduate of the University of Notre Dame, 2005.
Shant Mesrobian - Political writer for the AFL-CIO.  Member of the Research Department at Media Matters for America.  Politics writer at Congressional Quarterly.  Graduate of the University of Southern California.
Michael Moats - (Aug. 2008)  Speechwriter in the office of Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick.  Communications assistant on the Deval Patrick gubernatorial campaign, 2006.  M.F.A. coursework completed in creative writing from Emerson College, 2006.  B.A. in English from Christopher Newport University, 2001.
David Rochelson - Writer for ABC News Nightline, 2005-08.  Graduate of Harvard University, 2005.
Udai Rohatgi - With the Obama campaign since mid-2007; started the '08 cycle working on Internet for Tom Vilsack's Heartland PAC.
Elijah Zarlin - (March 2008)  Online technologies specialist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 2007-08.  Online organizer for Strickland for Governor, Fall 2006.  Managed Alden for Assembly campaign through June 2006.  M.A. in political science from UC Berkeley, 2004; B.A. in political science from UC San Diego, 2002.


VIDEO Animators, Editors, Shooters, Post, Road, State
Director of Video Production Kate Albright-Hanna
(April 2007) Albright-Hanna joined the campaign from her position as a CNN producer; she started at Turner Broadcasting in 1999 and at CNN in 2000.  Undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

Editor/Producer
 Jason Djang
Worked in documentary film and television in New York City and Los Angeles, including commercials, broadcast series, and short films.  Made his directorial debut with "Dear Francis" in 2006.  Master's degree from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA.  Bachelors degree from UCLA.

Motion Graphics Direction/Design Animation Steve Ogden
(June 2008)  Owner/designer at Steveo Creative (sole prop.) in Oakland since 1999.  Graduate of California College of the Arts, 2000.

Motion Design Director Chino (Wong)
Group creative supervisor for motion graphics at DraftCB Healthcare (NY), 2007-08.  Creative director for Adspace Mall Network (NY), 2006-07.  Freelance designer and animator, 1998-2005.  M.F.A. from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, 2005.  B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design, 2001.

Animation
 		Joshua Frankel
Filmmaker, animator and visual artist.  First film was Bicycle Messengers, 2005.  Worked on animation and visual effects, mostly for TV commercials for about four years.  Grew up in the Hell's Kitchen section of New York City.
Deputy Director of Online Video
 		Chris Royalty
M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  B.A. from the University of Richmond, 2003.
Editor/Post/Director of Rapid Response Video
 		Stephen Muller
(started on the campaign in May 2008)  Graduate of The Dodge College of Film and Media at Chapman University.
Shooter/Editor
 Hope E. Hall
(July 2008)  Extensive freelance production experience.  Master's degree in documentary film and video from Stanford University, 2000.  Associate producer and researcher for VH-1's "Behind the Music" series, 1997-98.  Lead assignment photographer at Wally Kempe Photography in Eugene, OR, 1996-97.  Associate director at Movement Research, Inc., in New York, 1995-96.  Co-founder and director of Arena Interplay, Inc, a performance space and an interactive theater company in San Francisco, 1993-95.  Bachelor's degree in history and French from UC Berkeley, 1991.  Grew up in Pacific Palisades, CA.
Shooter/Editor Quentin Kruger
(April 2008)  Owner and creative director at Adaptive Media Productions, a boutique media production studio focusing on commercial and EFP Production, Jan. 2006-April 2008.  Chicago-based freelance filmmaker Jan. 1998-Oct. 2007.  Columbia College in Chicago.

Note:
Helping Jason Djang as editor/producers were Max Harper and Dan Beckmann. 
Max Harper (flew in from Latin America to start in July 2008) - Formed Third Point L.L.C., an environmentally-focused video production company, in 2005 and worked on professional video production and social impact media strategy consulting as a video consultant for the Energy Action Coalition, 2007; grant writer and program developer for Pikes Peak Community Foundation - Venetucci Farm, 2005-06; and researcher for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, 2005.  Degree in environmental science from Colorado College, 2004.   >
Dan Beckmann - Television news cameraman, ENG crew, editor, soundman, writer and producer for two decades.  Most recently a creative executive for the cable network Current TV.  Worked for over four years at ABC News, including producing coverage of the 2004 election campaign.  Working towards a Ph.D. in media philosophy from the European Graduate School; master's degree in broadcast journalism from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism; bachelor's degree in political science and American culture from Washington University in St. Louis.  Native of Toledo, OH.


ROAD
New Media Road Director (Director of Video Field Production)
 Arun Chaudhary
(started July 2007; ultimately oversaw a team of six--four who traveled with Obama and two with Biden)  Part of the NYU Graduate Film Department faculty for five years.  M.F.A. in filmmaking from New York University and B.A. in film theory from Cornell University, 1997.
   
Deputy New Media Road Director Sharon Barnes
M.F.A. in film from New York University, 2008.  B.A. in Latin American studies, Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin.
Director of Photography - Producer/Editor Peter Rubi

Director of Photography - Producer/Editor Kat Westergaard
(summer 2008)

David Katz served as a still photographer.  While at the University of Michigan he worked as a staff photographer for the Michigan Daily. 
  

DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Design Manager
 Jessica Schlueter-Teal
(July 2008)  Web designer at Big Communications.  Web manager for the National Gallery of Art, April-Aug. 2007.  Lead designer at Blue State Digital, Nov. 2006-April 2007.  Lead designer at the Democratic National Committee, 2005-06.  Web design specialist in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, 2001-05.  B.A. in English, communications from Boston College, 1999.
Design (art director)
 John Slabyk
(2007)  Brand strategist based in Chicago.  Worked at Entertainment Direct as a creative director.  Co-founded celsiusDesign.  Studied graphic design at RIT.  From Buffalo, New York.  >
Design (design director)
 Scott Thomas
(Sept. 2007)  AKA SimpleScott.  A co-founder of The Post Family design collective.  >

Site Architect
 Walker Hamilton
(June 2008 "architected and implemented the deployment mechanisms and technologies for the campaign's various web properties, including, but not limited to, barackobama.com and voteforchange.com. Other work involved building applications to improve some processes, automate others, and facilitate in-state/headquarters communications for some of the departments within the campaign. Miscellaneous duties included general maintenance, day to day content administration, feature planning and development of technologies to bring the myBO social network closer to the main site’s content and navigation. I also worked on the wireframes for the neighbor to neighbor application and several of the other web properties.")  Lead strategic developer at Visicswire LLC, 2005-08.  Technician in the photography department at Columbia College Chicago, 2003-06.  Technology associate at Apogee Strategies, LLC, 2001-03.  B.A. in interactive multimedia from Columbia College Chicago, 2005 after a year at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  Work towards a Master's in information architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology.
Rapid Response Design Director
 Matt Ipcar
(July 2008 "produced and launched high profile, quick-turnaround campaign projects including Fight The Smears.com, Keatingeconomics.com, The Obama-Biden Tax Calculator, The OFA Record, and many others.")  Design director for Fenton Communications.  Principle designer in the New York studio of frogdesign, 2004-07.  Senior designer for Travelocity until 1999.  Worked as a concert and events photographer in San Francisco in the mid-1990s.  Graduate of the Design Studies program, Architecture School at SUNY Buffalo. Born in New York City; grew up in Brooklyn.
Senior Design Technologist
 Kyle Crouse
(Sept. 2008)  Also from frogdesign.  Senior web designer at Royall & Company, 2004-06.
Web/Advance Literature Designer
 Will Wan
(May 2008)  Art director at Strive for College.

Print Director
 Wade Sherrard
(April 2008 - "Responsible for maintaining campaign branding and art direction for all print collateral.  Developed print collateral systems for general election (posters, flyers, brochures & beyond).  Art directed a team of seven designers, contractors & interns to ensure work adhered to style standards.  Designed campaign signage & media backdrops to achieve visual consistency across all major events.  Continually advocated & created clear, simple & consistent messaging.")  Production manager at Screenlife, 2005-April 2008.  Account manager at SuperGraphics, 2000-02.  A.A. in graphic design from Seattle Central Community College, 2004.  B.A. in communication studies from Westmont College, 1996.

More Designers
Kori Schulman - (May 2008)  B.A. in American Civilization from Brown University, 2008.
Ryan Myers - (Aug. 2008)  Designer at Big Communications, 2006-08.  B.F.A. in graphic design from Eastern Michigan University, 2005 ; general studies at Washtenaw Community College.
Carla Pearlman - (July 2008)  B.F.A. from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, 2007.  Freelance artist since 2003.
Jess Weida - Senior graphic designer at Kym Abrams Design.  Fellow at The Institute for the Study of Women & Gender in the Arts & Media.  Art director at Euro RSCG Chicago.  Freelance Designer.  Attended Alfred University in New York.

New Media Ombudsman
 Gray Brooks
B.A. in history from Presbyterian College, 2007.  Deputy finance director on Kalyn Free for Congress 2004 campaign in Oklahoma.  Staff specialist at Dean for America, 2003-04.  From Alabama.


INTERNET ADVERTISING
Director of Internet Advertising
 Andrew Bleeker
Prior to joining the Obama campaign, Bleeker held a similar position on the Hillary Clinton for President campaign.  Previously worked for two online marketing firms.  Worked on the Tim Kaine campaign in 2005 and the Kerry campaign in 2004.

Jeff Lane - (July 2008 - search engine marketing/landing page optimization)  Interactive marketing associate (starting June 2006) and manager (starting March 2008) at Healthline Networks, Inc.  Production assistant / coordinator on various film and TV productions, 2004-06. B.A. in film and digital media from UC Santa Cruz, 2003.
Vishal Doshi - (Jan. 2008)  Research assistant at MIT.  M.S. in technology and policy from MIT, 2007.  B.S. in electrical engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2005.
Deepa Garg - (Aug. 2008)  Account manager for online advertising at ValueClick Media, Feb. 2007-July 2008.  Client services manager at FastWeb, 2005-07.  Manager of production and campaign insights at Resolution Media, 2004-05.  B.S.C. in marketing from DePaul University, 2004.
Emily Williams - Leave of absence from MSHC Partners; she joined the firm in 2005.  B.A. in urban studies from Columbia University.  Native of Jamaica Plain, MA.
Sam Teller - (June 2008)  B.A. from Harvard University, 2008.  Extensive intern experience including in the office of Sen. Clinton, John Kerry for President, Huffington Post, the Vineyard Gazette, the Colbert Report, Credit Suisse and Google.
?Vivian Song -

Note:
Michael Organ served as the campaign's first director of internet advertising.  He has a twenty-year marketing career and is an internet marketing expert.  Author of internetadvocacy.com/The Internet Advocacy Book.  Executive director of Charity Guide, a 501(c)(3).  Founded Mosaic Data Solutions, an Internet and database marketing company, in 2001.  Worked with Accenture for nine years, including as vice president of marketing for Accenture Procurment Solutions.  Co-founded College Financial Aid Service.  Started his marketing career at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising doing television and print ads. >


ANALYTICS
Analytics Lead
 Dan Siroker
(July 2008 > "Led a team of software engineers and analysts to maximize voter contact, sign-ups, and donations.")  Project manager at Google, Sept. 2006-July 2008.  Founder of Sentiment Solutions, a financial services company, Oct. 2005-Sept. 2006.  B.S. (2005) and M.S. (2006) in computer science from Stanford University.

Data Analysts:
Alexander McCormmach - started as a web development contractor in June 2007.
Brian Sze - Senior analyst in investment banking with RBC Capital Markets. B.A. in economics from Stanford University.
Eric Siroker -
Jim Pugh - Ph.D. in computer science (robotics) from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, 2008; B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from Cal Tech, 2003.
Brian Sisolak  - Experience includes associate at Mayfield Strategy group, web developer on the Kerry-Edwards campaign.

Volunteers: Danny Tarlow, Rohan Seth.


AND
Administrative Assistant/Operations Manager
 Mary Joyce
(started on the campaign in July 2007)  Founded ZapBoom Consulting ("digital politics from a global perspective") in 2006; also co-founder of DigiActive, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to helping grassroots activists around the world use digital tools to increase their impact.  Teaching assistant at AMIDEAST, 2005-6.  Graduate of Vassar College, 2004.  Started as a masters student at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 2007; took leave to work on the campaign.

Much has been written about the Obama campaign's New Media effort.  See for example:
Ellen McGirt.  "How Chris Hughes Helped Launch Facebook and the Barack Obama Campaign."  Fast Company.  March 17, 2009.
Michael Silberman.  "Welcome to the New Media Campaign Tools of 2012.  Mother Jones.  March 2009.
Jose Antonio Vargas.  "Obama's Wide Web."  Washington Post.  Aug. 20, 2008.

TECHNOLOGY
"campaign-wide technology systems (like the systems and architecture for the website, server architecture and security), overall data acquisition and integration, web and software development, and for targeting and modeling at the regional and national level."
Chief Technology Officer Michael Slaby
Initially deputy new media director.  Deputy campaign manager on Vi Daley's re-election campaign for Alderman in Chicago, 2007.  Worked for Sen. Dick Durbin in Chicago starting in 2005.  Worked for several multimedia design and web application and platform development startup companies.  Production manager at The Strategy Group.  Degree in English from Brown University, 2001.

Deputy CTO/Data Architect
 Uday Sreekanth
(June 2008)  Data architect on the Hillary Clinton for President campaign.  Previously senior data architect for InfoUSA.

Database Application Developer Chris Wegrzyn
(started on the campaign in Aug. 2007)  Previously a programmer at Eaton Vance.  B.S. in physics, mathematics and history from Carnegie Mellon University, 2006.
Senior Network Engineer Patrick Chauncey
(March 2007)  Network engineer at G2 Switchworks, 2006-07.  Started his own business, Reform Networks, Inc., 2004-06.  Engineer at Orbitz, 2000-04.
Senior System Engineer
 Rob Chauncey
(May 2007)  Director of networks at WMS Gaming, 1999-2007.  IT consultant for Ameritech New Media, 1998-99.  IT lead at Kemper Lesnik Communications, 1995-98.  B.A. in computer science from Oberlin College, 1994.


Targeting and Modeling Lead
 Eric Loeb
Loeb has worked in online politics since 1992.  Prior to joining the campaign he worked as the lead system programmer at Solutions for Progress for about five months.  Founder and executive director of Good Works PAC, a Pennsylvania-based PAC that sought to recruit and assist Democratic candidates who use public service in their campaigns, 2005-07, also technology director on the Fattah for Mayor campaign.  Chief internet architect at the Democratic National Committee, 2001-03.  Software engineer for the Gore campaign in 2000.  Co-founder and chief technology officer at Net.Capitol Inc, 1996-99.   Ph.D. cognitive neuroscience at MIT, 1995.  Loeb co-founded the Intelligent Information Infrastructure Project at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab; in Oct. 1992 he started the Presidential Campaign Information Service to post electronic texts from the campaigns.  M.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from UC Berkeley, 1987.  B.S. in mathematics from University of Illinois, 1984.

    Regional Targeting Desks >
Targeting and Modeling
 John Bellows
Graduate student in economics at UC Berkeley.  Undergraduate degree from Dartmouth.  Originally from Fort Collins CO.

More: Mike Conlow
GIS Lead
 David Galt
Eight years of GIS experience.  GIS coordinator and developer for New York City Department of City Planning, 2004-08.  B.S. in forestry from the University of Washington, 1999.

Lead Programmer
 Nick Piazza
(June 2008) Lead Flash developer/programmer at Category 4, 2006-08.  Flash game programming subcontractor at thisispop; assistant web developmer at CaseNEX.

Project Manager
 Thomas Zimmerman
Started as a field organizer (Sioux City) on the Iowa caucus campaign.  Graduate of Williams College, 2006.

SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE
Director Scheduling and Advance Alyssa Mastromonaco
Political Director at Obama's HOPEFUND.  Deputy scheduling director on John Kerry for President, Inc.  Press secretary for Congressman Rick Boucher (D-VA) in his congressional office in Washington.  Worked in Kerry's Senate office in Boston.  Worked in New York City for a number of years.  Graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998.  Grew up in Rhinebeck, NY.

Deputy Director of Scheduling and Advance Lisa Kohnke
Associate director of national events for AIPAC, Oct. 2005-May 2007.  Joined the Kerry campaign in May 2004 as a scheduler for Sen. Kerry; moved over to advance and served as a deputy director of advance from July 2004 to the end of the campaign.  Scheduled for Congressman Kendrick Meek, late 2002 to May 2004.  Scheduled for Gore after he left office, first at his transition office then at his PAC, Leadership 02, until Nov. 2002.  Joined the Gore campaign in Nov 1999; worked as a field organizer for 5 months in Sioux City, IA and Broward County, FL, did advance for 3 months, then moved to Nashville in June to be the advance desk for Vice President Gore teams until Nov. 2000.  National field director of College Democrats of America, from Spring 1998 to Fall 1999.   B.A. degrees in political science and Jewish studies from Indiana University, 1998.
Deputy Director of Scheduling Danielle Crutchfield
[Oversaw the execution of the Obama's day-to-day schedule and was responsible for managing a wide range of complicated planning including his foreign trip in July, the coordination of the schedules of all four principals, and the management of state scheduling operations.]  Executive assistant to Paul Begala for a year.  A staff assistant and later deputy scheduler for Sen. Maria Cantwell, 2004-06.  B.A. in sociology from Hampton University, 2003.  Grew up in Seattle, WA.
 
Deputy Director of Scheduling Jessica Wright
(May 2007)  Candidate aide/fundraiser on the Klobuchar for Senate campaign, 2005-06.  Graduate of University of Minnesota, 2004.
Director of Surrogates
 (Ashley) Teal Baker
Associate at the Podesta Group, 2004-07.  Office manager and scheduler for Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA), 2002-04.  Staff assistant, then scheduler in the office of Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN).  B.A. from Rhodes College (Memphis), 2000.


Director of Advance Emmett Beliveau
Attorney at Patton Boggs, LLP.  Staffer on Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign.  J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, 2004.  Staffer on Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign.  Undergraduate degree from Colby College, 1999.  Son of Severin Beliveau, a prominent Maine Democrat.
 
Deputy Director of Advance David Cusack
Senior aide to Al Gore at Leadership '02.  Graduate of Colby College, 2000.

National Advance
Averyl Bailey
Dan Gross
Samantha Tubman
Michael Ruemmler
Pamela Wilson
Peter Newell
Ellie Schafer
Mike Lavery
Carrie Devine
Steven Jacques

...roughly 70 full time advance staff.


Body Person/Special Assistant Reggie Love
Staff assistant in Obama's Senate office.  Tried out with the Dallas Cowboys football team but released in Sept. 2005; also tried out with the Green Bay Packers in 2004.  Degree in political science and public policy from Duke University in 2005, where he played football and basketball.  From Charlotte, NC.

"Call Time Manager" Eugene Kang
University of Michigan graduate.  Made an unsuccessful run for Ann Arbor City Council in 2005, while a student.  From Ann Arbor.

Trip Director Marvin Nicholson
(started in Feb. 2007)  Personal assistant/trip director to Sen. John Kerry; traveling assistant ("body guy" on Kerry's 2003-04 presidential campaign; personal assistant to Kerry, started as an intern in Kerry's Senate office in 2000.  Moved to Massachusetts from Canada in 1998 (holds dual citizenship).  Graduate of the University of Western Ontario.
 
Ground Logistics Coordinator [baggage]
 Eric Lesser
Did advance during the NH primary.  Graduate of Harvard, 2007.  Native of Queens, NY.

Press Wranglers
Samantha Tubman-joined the campaign as a member of the scheduling and advance team in Feb. 2007.  Deputy press secretary for Gov. Edward G. Rendell’s gubernatorial campaign in 2006.  Legal assistant at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, DC from 2001-04.  B.A. in history from Haverford College, 2001; Master’s degree in governmental administration from the University of Pennsylvania, 2006.
   
Katie Lillie-scheduler for Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius; did advance on Kerry's 2004 campaign.



MICHELLE OBAMA
Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff Stephanie Cutter
Communications director on Kerry-Edwards 2004 and John Kerry for President (announced Nov. 11, 2003)  Communications director for the 2004 Democratic National Convention (also participated in the press operation of the Los Angeles, Chicago and New York conventions).  Communications director for Senator Edward M. Kennedy.  Cutter worked for President Clinton as the deputy communications director at the White House and as the Associate Administrator for Communications at the U.S. EPA.  Originally from Raynham, Massachusetts, Cutter is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and Smith College in Northampton, MA.
 

Communications Director Katie McCormick Lelyveld
A deputy communications director on John Kerry for President.  Associate at The Harbour Group, LLC.  Graduated from Georgetown University in 2001 with a B.A. in psychology and English; two years as a White House intern in the Office of former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
 

Travelling Chief of Staff
 Melissa Winter
Michelle Obama's first hire on the Obama presidential campaign, Winter spent 22 months in Chicago working for her serving in several different capacities. 18 years experience on Capitol Hill.  She worked as scheduler/executive assistant to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (I-CT) through Feb. 2007.  Winter was also Sen. Lieberman's director of scheduling on his 2003-04 presidential race and traveling aide on Lieberman's 2000 vice presidential campaign.  Prior to joining Lieberman's staff she worked for Congressman Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA) for seven years as his staff assistant and then executive assistant.  Graduate of Skidmore College.  Born in Chicago, but her family later moved to La Jolla, California.


Director of Scheduling
 Jennifer Goodman
Prior to joining the Obama campaign, Goodman worked for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) for more than five years, serving as scheduler in his Senate office and trip director and director of scheduling on his 2007 presidential campaign.  She has also worked on the media team for the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton.  She began her career with the 2002 U.S. Senate campaign of Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.  B.A. in international affairs from The George Washington University.  Native of New Hampshire.
Body Person/Special Assistant
 Kristen Jarvis
Previously a press lead on the campaign's national advance team.  State scheduler for the Obamas/surrogate scheduler on the Nevada caucus campaign.  Special assistant to the chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to Obama in the U.S. Senate from 2004-07.  Worked on the leadership staff of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.  Graduate of Spelman College.
Personal Assistant
 Erinn ("Ebs") Burnough
Executive director of Rep. Jerrold Nadler's PAC.  Project Coordinator at SEIU Local 1199.  Deputy communications director in Missouri for America Coming Together.  Degree in communications from Northwestern University, 2002.
Speechwriter
 Megan Rooney
(Convention and Fall 2008)  Associate at West Wing Writers for about five years.  Writer for the Washington Post and the Chronicle of Higher Education.  From Staten Island, NY.  Graduate of Brown University.



VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
Note: Key people on the VP team were in place before Obama announced Biden; many were first reported by the Washington Post on Aug. 18.

Chief of Staff

 Patty Solis Doyle
(announced June 16, 2008)  Campaign manager on Hillary Clinton for President from the start of the campaign until her resignation on Feb. 10, 2008 (then moved to "senior advisory" role).  Worked with Clinton since 1991.  Executive director of Friends of Hillary and HILLPAC.  Chief of staff on her campaign for U.S. Senate in 2000.  During the Clinton Administration served as special assistant to the president and director of scheduling for First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Formerly an aide to the Chicago city treasurer.  Graduate of Northwestern University.  From Chicago.

Deputy Chief of Staff

 Kathleen McGlynn
Chief of staff on John Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign.  Director of special affairs at Kenneth Cole Productions.  Director of Scheduling for Elizabeth Edwards on the Kerry-Edwards campaign.  Director of the CEO's office for the Democratic National Convention Committee, Aug. 2003-Aug. 2004.  Graduate of Merrimack College, 2001.


Trip Director

 Rick Siger
Was already doing advance work for the Obama campaign.  Deputy secretary of commerce and trade in the administration of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine; earlier was director of operations for the Kaine's transition, and director of advance and trip director on Kaine's 2005 gubernatorial campaign.  Served on the national advance staff of the Kerry campaign.  Pittsburgh native.


Communications Director

 Ricki Seidman
Senior principal at TSD Communications; joined the firm in 2000.  Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice.  Fellow at the Institute of Politics, a program of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.  Executive director of Rock the Vote for three years.  Deputy communications director, counselor to the chief of staff, and director of scheduling and advance for the President during the first term of the Clinton Administration.  Headed the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign's "war room."  B.A. from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in Athens.


Traveling Press Secretary

 David Wade
(leave of absence starting Aug. 1, 2008)  Communications director in Kerry's Senate office.  National traveling press secretary on Kerry-Edwards, and earlier deputy communications director on John Kerry for President.  Served as national president of College Democrats of America (and addressed the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago).  Graduate of Brown University, 1997.


Traveling Speechwriter

 Jeff Nussbaum
Prior to starting in this role Nussbaum is co-directing the speechwriting operation for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.  He also served as on-site writer, editor, and presentation coach in the 2000 and 2004 conventions.  Nussbaum is a principal at West Wing Writers.  Co-author and collaborator with James Carville on the 2003 bestseller “Had Enough?” and collaborated with Sen. Bob Graham on his book “Intelligence Matters.” Deputy communications director and speechwriter to Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle.  A speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore, and later served as a senior speechwriter for Gore-Lieberman 2000.  Graduate of Brown University.


Press Logistics Liaison aboard Biden's Campaign Plane Sam Myers, Sr.
Worked with the media covering Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's primary campaign after serving as Trip Director on John Edwards' 2007-08 primary campaign.  Director of Advance for Sen. Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign and Trip Director for Edwards in the general election.  Director of Press Advance for the Gore campaign (he started doing some advance work part time in Jan. 2000,  went full time from late June 2000, and was on the plane shepherding the press pool from after the convention on).  Senior vice president of client relations for Shandwick  International.  Worked for three months as regional ombudsman for the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Six years as associate director of presidential advance at  the White House starting in March 1993; senior advanceman for Clinton/Gore '92 starting in June 1992.  From 1980-June 1992 worked as a manufacturer's rep.  Started doing advance work as a part time consultant for the Carter White House in Missouri in 1978.


Director of Scheduling for Joe Biden

 Elisabeth Hire
Deputy director of scheduling on Hillary Clinton's 2008 primary campaign.  Scheduling desk for Kerry-Edwards 2004; started as a scheduler in May 2004 and did advance for Kerry starting in Aug. 2003.  Advance staff for Gore/Lieberman in 2000.  When not working in politics, Hire has worked at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on a variety of projects including the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, the Festival of China, the Millennium Stage, and in its nationally recognized Education Department.  Hire is a classically trained ballet dancer and has performed with BalletMet Columbus.  A.B. in English from Kenyon College.  Native of Bexley, Ohio.


Advance for Joe Biden

 Pete Selfridge
Prior to joining the Obama-Biden campaign, Selfridge served as the city director in Los Angeles for the Clinton Foundation's Climate Initiative.  In 2004 he was an associate advanceperson for the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign.  From 1994-97 Selfridge worked in Washington, DC,  in the office of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) as well as in the scheduling office of President Bill Clinton at the White House.  Graduate of the University of Iowa.  Native of Minnetonka, MN.


AND SPOUSE

Chief of Staff

Catherine (Cathy) M. Russell
A long-time advisor to Dr. Biden and advocate for the prevention of violence against women, both at home and abroad.   Previously, she has been a senior advisor to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on international women’s issues.  In the Clinton Administration, she served as Associate Deputy Attorney General.  On Capitol Hill, she was staff director of the Senate Judiciary Committee and also served as a senior counsel to Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT).  J.D. from The George Washington University.  B.A. from Boston College.

Communications Director

 Leslie Miller
Communications director on Obama's NH primary campaign.  Prior to joining the campaign, Miller led the Dewey Square Group's California practice in San Francisco.  Producer for NBC News in Washington, DC; covered the 1996 and 1998 elections, Congress and the Clinton impeachment hearings.


Traveling Press Secretary
 Chris Mather
Political director at Change to Win (announced May 29, 2007).  A vice president at the American Association for Justice, formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.  Midwest press secretary for the Democratic National Committee.  Managed several campaigns in Illinois and New Jersey.  Deputy political director for NARAL in the 2000 election.  Helped develop a national network of activists for the American Nurses Association.  B.A. in political science and German from the University of Michigan, 1991.

Director of Scheduling

 Anthony Bernal
Bernal came to the campaign after working in the office of the CEO at the The Critical Path Institute. He served as chief of staff at the ALS Therapy Development Foundation, a Cambridge-based non-profit biotechnology company.  Bernal was Director of Financial Administration of the Democratic National Convention Committee, Inc. in 2004.  He worked at AARP, and earlier worked in Coca-Cola Company’s office of international affairs in Washington, DC.  Served both President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore in their respective offices of scheduling and advance at the White House and did scheduling and advance for both Clinton campaigns.  Bachelor's degree in history and philosophy from the University of Texas at El Paso; also studied at Carleton College in Northfield, MN.  Native of Tucson, Arizona.

 

FINANCE
Finance Director Julianna Smoot
Finance director at the DSCC in the 2006 cycle.  Veteran Democratic fundraiser; experience includes work for then Sen. Tom Daschle's DASH PAC, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and Sen. John Edwards.  Graduate of Smith College, 1989.
 
 
Deputy Finance Director (and Senior Finance Advisor to the DNC)
 Ami Copeland
Finance director on Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)'s 2006 re-election campaign.  Deputy national finance director on Sen. Tom Daschle's 2004 re-election campaign.  Midwest regional finance director at the DSCC, 2003.  Started in fundraising on Sen. Tom Harkin's 2002 re-election campaign.  Copeland lived abroad and obtained the rank of Master Sergeant in the Israeli Defense Forces; he has also worked as an investment banker and business journalist in Europe.  B.A. in international relations from Bard College, 2001.

Illinois - Jordan Kaplan - Graduate of Connecticut College, 2000.
    Sarah Rosenzwieg
Illinois Finance Committee
Co-Chairs: James Crown, president of Henry Crown and Co. and John Rogers, founder and CEO of Ariel Capital Management Inc.

Northern California - Tammy Paster - According to the California Majority Report, Paster "has raised funds for many statewide campaigns including Senator Barbara Boxer, former Controller Steve Westly, and most recently Steve Bing’s Yes on 87 ballot measure."  B.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, 1998.
    Chris Young

Southern California and Southwest - Julie Fitzgerald
    Adia Smith

Florida - Teddy Johnston - First reported as Florida finance director by the St. Petersburg Times on Jan. 29, 2007.  According to The Ledger (Lakeland), Johnston was "the only paid Obama campaign staffer in the state for more than a year."  Left law school to work on the campaign.  Master's degree from Indiana University School of Public & Envronmental Affairs.  Experience includes office of Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon, the Carter Center in Atlanta, GA, and Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign.  Undergraduate degree from Emory University, 2001.
   Jessica Clark
Chair: Kirk Wagar, attorney with Wagar Murray & Feit

Mid-Atlantic - Shomik Dutta - Worked on Martin O'Malley's successful 2006 gubernatorial campaign in Maryland.  Graduate, double major in economics and government, from Williams College, 2005. and Joanna Martin
    Ravi Gupta

Midwest - Michael O'Neil?Ari Koban
   Roz Skozen

New York - Jenny Yeager - Deputy national finance director on Obama's Senate campaign starting in April 2004.  Advance and fundraising on Sen. John Edwards presidential campaign, 2003-04.  Worked with the Close Up Foundation.  Degree in business administration from University of North Carolina.  From Fayetteville, NC.
    Jennifer Tabach 
Senior New York Finance Consultant: Hildy Kuryk

Northeast - Nate Turnbull
    James Dinneen

Northwest - Melissa Schwartz - Washington State finance director for Cantwell 2006.  In the 2004 cycle, Schwartz served as a regional finance director (NJ, PA & OH) at John Kerry for President for most of 2003, then finance director at Metzl for Congress through Aug. 2004, and in Fall 2004 as finance director at McCaskill for Governor. Fundraiser Mel Carnahan for Senate, 1999-2000.  Deputy finance director at Jean Carnahan for U.S. Senate, 2001-02.  Director of scheduling for Sen. Jean Carnahan, 2001.  B.A. in political science from Saint Louis University, 1998.

Southern - Jenny Cizner
   April Harley

Texas and Oklahoma - Adrienne Donato - experience includes SW finance director at the DNC.
 
 
Director of Direct Marketing
 Meaghan Burdick
Director of marketing and online services at the DCCC in the 2006 cycle (started there in Jan. 2005).  Previously worked at the DSCC and EMILY's List.  B.A. in government from Georgetown University, 1998.

Grassroots Finance Director Kimonia Alfred
(March 2007)  Legislative aide in the office of Congressman Henry Waxman, June 2002-Feb. 2007; caseworker and field deputy in the office of Congressman Waxman, May 1998-June 2002.  Compliance officer at Carry Oregon-Democratic Party of Oregon, July-Nov. 2004.  B.A. in political science from U.S.C., 1997.
Online Store Coordinator Adrienne Cooper
[http://store.barackobama.com]

Finance Chief of Staff/Manager
 Mackey Dykes
Deputy Southern finance director at the DSCC.  Helped on former Dougherty District Attorney Ken Hodges' 2004 campaign, then on the Kerry-Edwards campaign in Iowa.  Degree in political science from Vanderbilt University, 2004.  Albany, GA native.

National Finance Chair Penny Pritzker
(announced by the exploratory committee Jan. 31, 2007)  Member of one of America's richest families, founders of Hyatt Hotels.  Founder, chairman and CEO of Classic Residence by Hyatt, a unit that does luxury retirement communities; and chairman of the Board of TransUnion Corporation, a credit data and information management business.  Chairman of Superior Bank, 1989-94.  Bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University, 1981; J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Stanford University, 1984.
National Finance Committee
Hispanic Leadership Council (announced Mar. 27, 2008)

Assistant to the National Finance Chair - Natalie Bookey
Graduate of  The George Washington University, 2006.



COUNSEL
General Counsel
 Bob Bauer
(responsible for all legal affairs of the campaign, including voter protection)  Chair of the Political Law Group of Perkins Coie LLP.  Thirty years of law practice.  Counsel for many years to the DSCC and DCCC.  J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, 1976.  B.A. from Harvard University, 1973.
Deputy General Counsel
 Rebecca Gordon
Associate in the Political Law Group at Perkins Coie.  J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, 2001.  B.A. in economics and government from the College of William and Mary, 1997.

Chief Staff Counsel Kendall Burman
(the in-house attorney)  Associate at Latham & Watkins.  Graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, 2004.  Undergraduate degree in government and legal studies from Bowdoin College.                    

Staff Attorneys
Nicole Buffa - Attorney at Latham & Watkins.  J.D. from UCLA, 2006.  Worked at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX.  B.S. in conservation and resource studies from UC Berkeley,1999.

Mike French

Eric Waldo

Mala Adiga - Associate at Kirkland & Ellis.  J.D. from University of Chicago, 2002.  M.P.H. from University of Minnesota, 1997; undergraduate degree from Grinnell College, 1993.

and
Senior Legal Advisers - a substantial team

and
State Counsel - answered primarily for voter protection in their states, working with the national legal team and the vote protection coordinators.

CONSULTANTS
Director of Paid Media and Opinion Research
Larry Grisolano - started Jan. 2007; created, supervised and directed the opinion research program and managed the paid advertising campaign (television, radio, internet, direct mail and other print advertising)  Partner in The Strategy Group.  Managed Gov. Gray Davis' 2002 re-election campaign and Californians Against the Costly Recall, the Davis' campaign to defeat the 2003 recall.  In 1991-92 worked on the Clinton for President primary campaign including stints in Little Rock, running the Florida State Convention straw ballot operation, and in the Illinois primary; in the fall oversaw the Clinton-Gore coordinated campaign in California.  Worked in press and research for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s 1991 re-election.  In 1988 managed Iowa field operations for Sen. Joe Biden and, later, for Sen. Paul Simon.  Organizer for Tom Harkin’s upset victory for the U.S. Senate in 1984.  B.A. in political science from the University of Iowa.  Also studied business management at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.


Obama Media Team
David Axelrod - AKP Message & Media (see above) and John Del Cecato, also at AKP
Production: Sarah Hegeman

Jim Margolis and Jason Ralston  - (announced April 28, 2007; development and placement of media and serving as senior strategists) Senior partner and partner, repectively at GMMB.

additions reported by Chris Cilizza "The Fix" June 2008
David Dixon and Rich Davis - Dixon-Davis Media

Steve Murphy and Mark Putnam - Murphy Putnam Media

Bill Knapp - Squier Knapp Dunn

Saul Shorr  - Shorr Johnson Magnus (Philadelphia, PA)

reported by "The Fix" on July 9, 2008
Erik Smith  -  Blue Engine Media


specialty
Freddy Balsera  - Balsera Communications Group (Coral Gables, FL) >
.
SS+K - a strategic communications firm located in New York; helping the campaign with nontraditional ideas and new ways to reach the younger voting population.  The effort is being headed up by Rob Shepardson, founding partner of the firm.

FUSE - St. Louis-based; focusing on African American voters.  Clifford Franklin, president and CEO.

Message and Audience Presentation - based in Austin, TX; focusing on Hispanic voters. James Aldrete, president and creative manager.


Paid Media Coordinator Lauren Paige
Associate in the Dewey Square Group's Sacramento office starting in 2003.  Paige has also worked on local, state and national campaigns including the Kerry/Edwards campaign in Nevada in 2004.  Served as a Fellow in Gov. Gray Davis’ Office of Communications as part of the Center for California Studies’ Executive Fellowship Program.  Degree in political economy and city and regional planning from UC Berkeley.  Native Californian.

    Regional Media Desks

Polling
Paul Harstad - CEO of Harstad Strategic Research, based in Boulder, CO.  33 years of experience in government, public affairs, polling, and campaign strategy.   During the 1990s he directed public affairs polling for Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy in Boulder.  During the 1980s he was senior vice president at Peter Hart Research and Garin-Hart Research in Washington, DC.  During the 1970s he worked as a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C..  (more)
  
Cornell Belcher - President, Brilliant-Corners, Research & Strategies.  Belcher is also DNC pollster.
 
Joel Benenson - Founding partner of the Benenson Strategy Group (BSG).

David Binder - Principal at David Binder Research (San Francisco).

Anna Bennett - Principal at Bennett, Petts & Normington.  Over 20 years experience in public opinion research and strategic consulting.

addition reported by Chris Cilizza "The Fix" June 2008
John Anzalone - Anzalone Liszt Research


Targeting (also referred to as Modelling or Data Analytics)
Ken Strasma - President, Strategic Telemetry.
Founded the firm in 2003 to provide strategic advice and voter targeting services for progressive organizations and campaigns.  Strasma and Strategic Telemetry served as the targeting director for the Kerry for President campaign in 2003-04. Research director at the National Committee for an Effective Congress, 1997-2003.  Has managed numerous statewide, local and legislative campaigns.  director of the Minnesota House Democratic Caucus in 1996.  Director of the Wisconsin Senate Democratic Caucus.  Campaign finance analyst for the Wisconsin Assembly Democratic Caucus.  Lead statistician for the Wisconsin Assembly Democratic redistricting team in 1991.



MORE ADVISORS include
Senior Advisor
 Pete Rouse
Started with Obama in Dec. 2004, served as chief of staff in his Senate office, and was instrumental in mapping out the run for president.  Rouse had been splitting between the campaign and the Senate; he eventually moved over to the campaign full-time.  More than 30 years experience working on Capitol Hill.  Prior to joining Obama, he worked for Sen. Tom Daschle starting in 1985.  Chief of staff to then Rep. Dick Durbin (D-IL), 1984-85.  Chief of staff to Lt. Gov Terry Miller of Alaska, 1979-83.  Legislative assistant to Sen. Jim Abourezk (D-SD), 1971-75.  B.A. from Colby College, M.A. from the London School of Economics, and M.P.A. from the Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Congressional Liaison Team (announced July 7, 2008) "the primary contact for the individual Senators and House members and will ensure that the member of Congress' counsel is considered in overall message strategy, campaign planning and execution."
Phil Schiliro; Michael Strautmanis; Karen Richardson; Michael Robertson

bio for Michael Strautmanis...
Chief counsel and deputy chief of staff to Obama in his Senate office.  Lobbyist with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.  Legislative director and counsel to then Rep. Rod Blagojevich.  Chief of staff to the General Counsel at the U.S. Agency for International Development during the Clinton administration.  Practiced law.  J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, 1994.


National Director of Delegate Operations
Jeff Berman-Berman fulfilled a similar role on both of Dick Gephardt's presidential campaigns.

VICE PRESIDENTIAL VETTING
Eric Holder, Caroline Kennedy; Jim Johnson (left his role on June 11, 2008 due to controversy over a special loan)

DEBATE NEGOTIATIONS
Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL)



TRANSITION
Transition planning proceeded very quietly for some months before Election Day.  In one of the few news reports on the subject from the campaign period, The Associated Press' David Espo reported on Oct. 17, 2008 that, "Obama's transition team recently held a large organizational meeting" under the direction of John Podesta, and that Cassandra Butts was focusing on personnel.  The campaign noted in its Nov. 5, 2008 press release announcing transition leadership, "For the past several months, a board of advisors has been informally planning for a possible presidential transition." 


IN THE STATES


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Mark Silva of the Chicago Tribune reported on Oct. 24, 2008 that the campaign has 770 field offices.

See also: Brian C. Mooney. "Obama's paid staff dwarfing McCain's," Boston Globe.  July 20, 2008. >

 


SENATE OFFICE
Chief of Staff Chris Lu
(started in this role at beginning of Sept. 2008; previously Pete Rouse had split between chief of staff and senior advisor to the campaign)  Previously legislative director in Obama's Senate office.  Deputy chief counsel for the Democratic staff of the House Government Reform Committee (Rep. Henry Waxman), 1997-2005.  Special advisor for communications to Kerry-Edwards '04.  Worked as a litigator at a D.C. law firm and a law clerk to a federal court of appeals judge.  Graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, where he was a classmate of Obama.
Policy Director
 Karen Kornbluh
(started at the beginning of Obama's Senate term; took leave for several months in 2008 to serve as principal drafter of the Democratic platform)  Joined the New America Foundation as a fellow and founded its Work and Family Program.  Deputy chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin.  Joined the FCC in Nov. 1994 as senior policy advisor in the Office of Plans and Policy and continued there in several positions, finishing as deputy chief of the Mass Media Bureau through Oct. 1998.  Worked for Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) on Commerce Committee and telecommunications Subcommittee issues.  Management consultant at Telesis.  Economist at Alan Greenspan's economic forecasting firm, Townsend-Greenspan & Co.  M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; B.A. in economics and English from Bryn Mawr College.
 


Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action