2008
Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC)
Headquarters: Offices at Civic Center Plaza in Denver, CO ...officially opened
July 26, 2007
updated April 23,
2009
-See also officers
and standing committees.
100 Days Out press release.
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 |
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Obama - coordinating convention
operations
|
Matt Nugen
|
|
(starting June 9, 2008) Political director on Obama
for America since early 2007. Director of the Chairman's Office
at the DNC. Director of
Delegate
Operations for Sen. Joe Lieberman's campaign for the 2004 Democratic
presidential
nomination (announced Feb. 2003). Vice President of Operations
for
Kwame Building Group, Inc. In 2000, he served as Deputy Chief
Operating
Officer for the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los
Angeles.
From 1998-2000, Nugen was the Deputy Director and then the Director for
the Office of the Secretary at the DNC. He spent time as a
regional
field director for the '98 South Carolina Coordinated Campaign and as
the
field director for the 2000 South Carolina tracking operation.
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Obama - communications
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Jenny Backus
|
|
(announced July 15, 2008) Backus Consulting LLC; most recently worked with the
DNC on Democratic primary debates. Communications director at the
DCCC. Spokeswoman at the DNC in the 2000 cycle. Press
secretary to U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV).
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Obama - communications
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Liz Oxhorn
|
|
(announced July 15, 2008) Oxhorn served as director of
communications planning in Chicago; she came to the campaign from her
position
as deputy communications director for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
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Obama - Pepsi Center Manager
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Paul Hegarty
|
|
Deputy Director, Grassroots Organizing at the
DNC. Prior
to joining the DNC Hegarty served briefly as Assistant Deputy Director
for Community Development in the Arizona Department of Commerce.
Executive director of the Arizona Democratic Party in the 2004
cycle; political director of the Arizona Democratic Party in the 2002
cycle.
Hegarty worked with the U.S. Department of Defense Base Realignment and
Closing Commission, and as deputy director of advance the Office of
Vice President Al
Gore. B.A. in political science from The George Washington
University, 2000. Arizona native. |
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Obama - director of floor
operations ("boiler room")
|
Shelley Loos
|
|
Based in Hollywood, FL, this is Loos' fifth
convention working on floor operations. In
2003-04 she served as director of ballot access and delegates on Wesley
Clark's campaign. Worked on Bill McBride's 2002 gubernatorial
campaign in Florida. MW regional desk for Gore's Leadership '98
political action committee; field person for Gore campaign in
southeastern Iowa for the Iowa caucuses starting Oct./Nov. 1999; then
to California; ran the March 21 Illinois primary campaign; convention
floor manager at the Democratic National Convention; returned to
Illinois in late August 2000 as state director in Illinois for the fall
campaign. Nebraska
native.
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|
Obama - campaign liaisons (4th
night)
Invesco Field site
Invesco Field crowd
Invesco Field press
|
Peter Gage
Dan Gross
Peter Weeks
|
and Paul
Tewes, Obama's man at
the DNC, described by National
Journal as "the man behind the curtain"
(Senior leadership team announced
April 12, 2007).
Chief Executive
Officer |
Leah Daughtry |
(announced April 12,
2007)
Chief of Staff at the Democratic National Committee (started in that
role
under Terry McAuliffe). Previously held several senior posts at
the
U.S. Department of Labor during the Clinton Administration, including
Senior
Advisor to the Secretary, Chief of Staff, and lastly, Acting Assistant
Secretary for Administration and Management. Executive Director
of
Man to Man/Sister to Sister. Served on the Clinton-Gore 1992
Transition
team. Director of Convention Management for the 1992 Democratic
National
Convention. Legislative Assistant to Congressman Edolphus
Towns.
Daughtry is Pastor of The House of the Lord Church in Washington,
D.C.
Graduate of Dartmouth College and native of Brooklyn, NY.
Chief of Staff |
Peggy Cusack |
(announced April 12,
2007)
Managing director of the Washington office of Rendezvous Consulting
Group,
a firm that specializes in the production and management of large
scale,
high profile events; more than 15 years of experience in the special
events
industry. In 2004, Cusack
served as a consultant to the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign,
orchestrating
campaign operations and logistics for the Democratic National
Convention
and producing the Election Night concert and celebration in
Boston. Cusack practiced as a litigator in the San Francisco office
of the law firm
Morgan,
Lewis & Bockius LLP and earlier was at Brobeck, Phleger
& Harrison. Eight years as
a White House event planner during the
Clinton/Gore
Administration, including senior management roles on three presidential
campaigns, two presidential inaugurations, planning committees for the
Olympic Games, and two Democratic National Conventions, as well as
director of scheduling and advance for Tipper Gore.; started as
anadvance person on Clinton-Gore '92. J.D. from University of
Virginia School of Law, 2002. M.A. in radio and television
broadcasting from American University, 1999. B.A. in political
science, international relations from State University of New York,
College at Geneseo, 1991.
Deputy CEO for
"Inside the Hall" Operations |
Travis Dredd
|
Formerly Deputy Executive Director
at the X
PRIZE Foundation in Los Angeles,
where he was responsible for oversight and management of the X PRIZE
Cup, the
first ever live-fire rocket and space vehicle spectator show in the
country. At the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston,
Dredd served as Deputy Hall Manager,
coordinating Convention hall activities related to security,
construction and
production. He also worked as National Advance Lead for the
Kerry/Edwards
campaign and as Advance Director for John Kerry for President.
Staff Aide to both Archbishop Desmond Tutu on his U.S. speaking tour
and President Bill Clinton on
a humanitarian trip to Rwanda.
Dredd also worked with the Freedom Writers Foundation, Senator Dianne
Feinstein
(D-Calif.) and the 2000 Gore/Lieberman campaign. Served six years in
U.S. Marine Corps and graduated from UCLA with a
degree in political science.
Deputy CEO for
"Outside the Hall" Operations |
Cameron Moody |
(announced April 12,
2007)
Until recently, Moody was the Director of Strategic Planning and
Operations
for the American Cancer Society's National Government Relations
Office.
Deputy CEO for Operations for the 2004 Democratic National Convention,
Deputy Director of Logistics for the 2000 Democratic National
Convention,
and Deputy Director of Transportation for the 1996 Democratic National
Convention. Moody worked on the 2002, 2000 and 1996 Olympics and
the 1997 Denver Summit of the Eight (G-8 Economic Summit). He is an
engineer
by training and has worked in automotive and athletic shoe design and
development.
Deputy CEO for
Public Affairs |
Jenni Engebretsen |
(announced April 12,
2007)
Director of communications for the Recording Industry Association of
America
(RIAA). In the 2004 cycle served as a regional communications
director
for the Kerry-Edwards for President campaign; deputy communications
director
for the Democratic National Convention in Boston; and press secretary
for
Sen. John Edwards' South Carolina primary campaign, then his Wisconsin
campaign. Washington press secretary to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL);
deputy communications director to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY); and
special
assistant to the press secretary during the Clinton
Administration.
Graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
Deputy CEO for
Intergovernmental
Relations |
Sky Gallegos |
(announced April 12,
2007)
Partner at Hilltop Public Solutions in Washington, DC. Campaign
manager
on Jim Pederson for U.S. Senate in Arizona in Fall 2006.
California
state director on Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc.. Deputy campaign
manager/political
director for Sen. John Edwards' presidential primary campaign
(announcement
that she had joined the campaign came in March 2003) then ran his One
America
Committee. COO and political director of EdVoice, a California
education
and advocacy organization. In the 2000 campaign she was
California
state director for the Gore primary campaign, and Western Regional
Political
Director for the Gore/Lieberman campaign. Prior to the campaign
she
was Western political director for Leadership '98, Gore's leadership
PAC.
Gallegos worked in the White House Office of Intergovernmental
Affairs.
She served as deputy political director for the Clinton/Gore '96
campaign
in California. B.A. in political science from Stanford
University.
Native of Colorado.
Deputy CEO for
Administration
and Finance |
Christian Duffus |
Prior to joining the DNCC, Duffus
was Vice
President of Finance and Corporate Development for M2Z Networks, a
development
stage entity. CFO for Govolution, a leading provider
of electronic payment software and services to the public sector and
the
banking industries. Worked with the family investment office
for John Kluge at Metromedia Company where he focused on internet and
telecommunications investments. Started his career with Goldman Sachs
in
the North American, Mergers and Acquisitions Group. Graduate of Florida
A&M University
and the University
of Virginia's
Darden
Graduate School of Business.
General Counsel |
Susana Carbajal |
(announcced April 12,
2007)
An attorney with the Bankruptcy and Specialty Litigation Department at
the law firm of Brown McCarroll, L.L.P.; joined the firm's Austin
office
in Nov. 2004. J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law,
2004.
Associate deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel,
2000-01.
Worked on the 2000 Gore for President campaign. Staff assistant
to
Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), 1998-99. B.A. from American
University,
1998.
INSIDE THE HALL
(Travis Dredd)
Director
of Hall Management
|
Melanie Roe
|
M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard, 2007. Worked on John Kerry's
presidential campaign as part of the advance staff during the NH
primary and on the travelling staff during the general election.
Degree in political science and French from Wellesley College, 2000.
Director
of Hall Operations
|
Greg McDonald
|
Attorney at Greenberg Traurig. George Mason University School of Law.
Director of Media
Operations
|
Theo LeCompte
|
[particular focus on
credentialing]
Previously communications director at Western Progress; started in
August 2007. Associate director of press relations at the Center
for
American Progress in
Washington, DC. Deputy director for media affairs at the Clinton
Global Initiative in New York, Sept. 2006. A permanent press lead
on
the
national advance staffs of Clark for President and Kerry-Edwards
2004.
Has also worked for A&E Television, HBO, NBC News and
NYC2012.
Graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering
and Applied Science, 2001.
Director of Sustainability and
Greening
|
Andrea Robinson
|
(Sept. 2007) Managed the
greening of the New York, Shanghai and Johannesburg venues for Vice
President Al Gore's Live Earth concerts. Degree in environmental
science from UC Santa Barbara.
Deputy Director of
Sustainability
and Greening
|
Jaime Nack
|
(March 2008) Previously
director of events and marketing at Gladstein, Neandross &
Associates, an environmental consulting firm in Santa Monica, CA.
Master's in Public Policy/International Trade from UCLA; bachelor's
degree in international economics, also from UCLA.
OUTSIDE THE HALL (Cameron Moody)
Director
of Housing |
Tina Akintayo
|
(March 2007) Previously
director of national accounts for Omni Hotels; started with Omni in
1997. "a
14-year hospitality professional"

Director of
Security |
Frank Conner |
(announced Dec. 11, 2007)
Thirty-five
year veteran of the Denver Police Department. Most recently,
Conner
served as Lieutenant for the DPD's METRO/SWAT Bureau. He has
managed
security for a number of large-scale events in Denver, including the
2006
NBA All-Star Game, the 1997 Summit of the Eight and the 1993 papal
visit,
and provided protective details for numerous world leaders. Conner
graduated
from Denver's Metropolitan State College with a degree in law
enforcement.
Deputy
Director
of Security |
Jim Malone |
(announced Dec. 11,
2007)
More than 30 years of service with the Denver Police Department.
Experience includes providing protection for Denver mayors John
Hickenlooper
and Wellington Webb under the Mayor's Executive Security Unit. A
Denver native.
Director of
Transportation |
Andrew Ballard
|
Has worked on the last three
Democratic National Conventions, and has experience managing
transportation logistics on numerous large-scale events including the
2007 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Atlanta, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt
Lake, Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, the 1997 Summit of the Eight, the 1996
Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and the 1997 and 1993 presidential
inaugurations in Washington, DC.
Deputy Director of Transportation |
Patrick Brown
|
Executive
director at KSA Events, 1997-2002. Guest
talent coordinator at Walt Disney World, 1997. Venue
transportation manager for the 53rd Presidential Inaugural
Committee. Regional venue transportation manager for the Atlanta
Committee for the Olympic Games, 1995-96, then village and ceremonies
transportation manager for the Paralympic Games. Marketing
coordinator for Underground Atlanta (Rouse Company), 1994-95.
M.B.A. from the University of Colorado at Denver, 2006. B.S. in
business from Auburn University, 1994.
Associate Director of Transportation (Motorpool
Operations)
|
Sameer Punyani
|
B.A. in international relations from
The Johns Hopkins University, 2007.
Consultant for the bus shuttle system
- Event Transportation Associates, Inc. (ETA) of Denver
PUBLIC
AFFAIRS (Jenni Engebretsen)
Director of
Public Programs |
Julie
Rodriguez |
(Sept. 2007) Prior to joining
the
DNCC staff, Rodriguez served as program administrator for the Denver
Office of Cultural Affairs, coordinating the City’s architecture and
literary initiatives – “Doors Open Denver” and “One Book, One Denver,”
respectively. Originally from Pueblo, CO.
Director of
Online Communications |
Aaron Myers |
(started March 2008)
Director
of Internet Operations on John Edwards for President, 2007-08.
Director
of Internet Development for Kerry-Edwards 2004 and Kerry for President,
May-Nov. 2004. Director of Internet Operations for Edwards for
President,
Dec. 2002 - March 2004. Webmaster for the Office of U.S. Senator
Tom Harkin in Washington, D.C. and for Citizens for Harkin in Des
Moines,
Iowa, June 2001-Dec. 2002. Freelance web designer and consultant,
Dec. 2000-Jan. 2003. Senior web producer for Gore 2000, Inc. and
Gore/Lieberman, Inc. in Nashville, Tenn., June-Nov. 2000.
Experience
as a web developer, designer and webmaster going back to 1995-96 when
he
was a web developer for WYBE-TV Channel 35 in Philadelphia.
Graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in Political
Communication,
May 2000.
Deputy
Director
of Online
Communications |
Adam Lord |
Previously worked on the
John
Edwards for President campaign.
Official Website Producer - Dewey
Digital (announced Feb. 5, 2008)
Director of Press
Operations
|
Karen Burchard
|
[particular focus on
convention week] Director of press advance on Kerry-Edwards 2004,
Inc. Prior to the campaign Burchard went to grad school in
England,
earning an M.A. in Archaeology, and consulted at SAIC. Deputy
director
of advance at the White House from early 1999 to Jan. 2001. In
August
of 1998 she returned to the Department of Education and from there was
detailed to the White House. Worked at the President's Initiative
on
Race. Did advance full-time until 1998. Press lead on
Clinton's '96
re-election campaign. Worked for Secretary Riley and Deputy
Secretary
Kunin at the Department of Education in the scheduling and advance
office from 1993-96. Graduate of the University of Virginia with
a
degree in Linguistics and Spanish, 1987. From Arlington, VA.
Director of Press
Relations
|
Damon Jones
|
[coordinating the press
operation] Previously worked in Procter & Gamble's London
office. Originally from Detroit.
Press Secretary
|
Natalie Wyeth
|
Previously spokeswoman for
the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Worked for the LRA at Ketchum
Public Affairs. Manning, Selvage & Lee, a PR
firm in Washington, DC. Graduate of the University of Southern
California, 1998.
Deputy
Press
Secretary
|
Kristina Edmunson
|
Deputy
Press
Secretary
|
Chris Ortman
|
Studio '08
(started Jan. 2008)
Communications director to Gov. Chris Gregoire (D-WA) for about two
years through early Nov. 2007; then moved to Denver.
Communications director to Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D-OR) through Nov.
2005. Managed city council member Jim Francesconi's campaign for
mayor of Portland, 2004. Worked on John Kerry's primary campaign
starting as director
of constituency organizing in Iowa in Dec. 2003, then serving as press
secretary on Kerry's South Carolina campaign and communications
director in Georgia. Managed Julie Thomas' campaign against Jim Leach in Iowa's
2nd CD, 2002. Worked
in the Iowa legislature. Graduate work in journalism at Iowa
State University. Graduate of University of Northern Iowa. Grew up in
Mount Vernon, Iowa, and is the daughter of state Rep. Ro Foege.
Deputy Director
|
Nicola Frost
|
Booking Director
|
Kathy Trotter [phon.] |
Radio
|
Ian Shiffrin [phon.]
|
President
of CFG Consulting, Inc.. Graduate of the University of
Vermont, 2002.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
RELATIONS (Sky Gallegos)
Director
of Political Affairs
|
Tasha Cole
|
Early voting director for Florida Victory 2004. Senior
advisor to Congressman Kendrick Meek (FL-17). Campaign manager
for Kendrick Meek for Congress and senior consultant to the Coalition
to Reduce Class Size statewide ballot initiative, 2002. State director
and political director of SEIU in Florida, 2001-02. North Florida
field organizer for Florida recount effort and surrogate scheduler for
the 2000 Florida Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign.
Constituency outreach director/political director for the Florida
Democratic Party, 1998-2001. Assistant Get Out the Vote
coordinator for McKay/Dantzler and Florida Democratic Party Coordinated
Campaign, 1998.
Director
of Party Affairs (state party
outreach and VIPs) |
Ana Ma
|
Chief of
staff/senior counsel for Congressman Raúl Grijalva, 2003-07;
worked on then Supervisor Grijalva's successful 2002 congressional
campaign
for the newly created 7th District seat. Arizona
Coordinated Campaign Director, 2004. Western
States Political
Director for the Democratic National Committee, 2001-02. Arizona
Coordinated Campaign Director, 2000. Political appointee under
U.S.
Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, 1997-2000. Graduate of the
University
of Arizona with a degree in political science, 1991. From Tucson.
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
(Christian Duffus)
Director of Finance and Budget |
Dennis
O'Brien
|
M.B.A. from American University -
Kogod School of Business, 2007. Strategy and development at Discovery
Communications, 2005-06. Worked on presidential debates for
Kerry/Edwards '04. Director of Housing for the Democratic
National
Convention Committee (Boston), 2003-04. Deputy Director of
Convention
Planning for the 2004 Democratic National Convention at the DNC and
previously
served
as a Special Assistant to Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Worked on
Vice
President Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and
played
a key role in the 2000 presidential debates. B.A. in political science
from Marquette University, 1998.
Consultant (Procurement):
Andrew J. Ruder
Director of Technology
|
Brook
Colangelo |
Staffer at QRS Newmedia.
"managed the technology and communication system deployments for two
Presidential Campaigns and more than a dozen offices." Manged the
technology and telecommunication construction for the 2004 Democratic
National Convention, the renovation of the technology infrastructure
for the Democratic National Committee headquarters, and the
telecommunication infrastructure for the Human Rights Campaign’s new
national headquarters. Operations director for Kieloch
Consulting, a
Washington fundraising consultancies. Aide to U.S. Rep. Brad
Sherman.
B.A. degree in political communications from The George Washington
University.
DNCC Receptionist |
Katie Lewallen |
and
PRODUCTION
TEAM
Executive Producers (announced
Oct. 29, 2007)
Ricky Kirshner -
Runs RK Productions and is one of the entertainment industry's leading
production executives; he has produced countless television specials,
stadium
spectaculars, political events and corporate gatherings and won three
Emmys.
Kirshner produced the 2004 and 2000 Democratic National
Conventions.
Other examples of his work include executive producer of the 2007 Super
Bowl Half Time Show starring Prince, the broadcast of the 60th Annual
Tony
Awards in 2006, senior producer of "ABC 2000," ABC News's Millennium
coverage,
producer for the North American Treaty Organization's (NATO) 50th
Anniversary
Summit and producer for President Bill Clinton's 1997 Inaugural Gala on
CBS.
Mark Squier - A
media consultant and strategic adviser to Democratic candidates for
federal
and statewide office and Democratic party committees for more than 25
years.
Co-founder of McMahon, Squier, Lapp & Associates (MSLA)
in Washington, DC (started in 1991). Previously lead producer for
nearly ten years at the Washington media firm, Squier/Eskew
Communications.
Squier is an award-winning filmmaker. He holds a Masters degree
from
the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, where he produced the Emmy
and Academy Award-winning (student category) film "The Blue Men."
Production
Designer |
Bruce Rodgers |
(announced Jan. 16, 2008 -
"
will manage the overall set design for the podium and stage.") As
the creator of Tribe Inc., Rodgers has more than 20 years of experience
as an entertainment design professional - serving as production
designer,
art director, concept designer and creative consultant. The
Emmy-nominated
designer has myriad credits in music tours, concerts, variety shows,
television,
advertising, corporate and industrial shows and exhibits. Currently
designing
the 2008 Super Bowl halftime show, Rodgers' previous credits include
the
2007 Super Bowl, the Rascal Flatt's Tour, Madonna's Drowned World Tour
and the creation of the Global Olympic Village for the 1996 Summer
Olympic
Games in Atlanta.
(announced Jan. 16, 2008 -
"responsible
for the operations and administrative side of the production.")
Veteran
of both political and entertainment events, Geers' production credits
include
the last two Democratic National Conventions and the 2001 and 2006
International
Brotherhood of Teamsters Conventions, where she served as Coordinating
Producer. In addition to her work on numerous awards shows, music
specials, tributes and Super Bowl events, Geers was Associate Producer
for the re-opening of the New Orleans Super Dome with Green Day and U2
in 2006. Bi-lingual in English and Spanish, Geers produced special
events
for the Nature Conservancy of California and UCLA, prior to her work in
television. Her projects included the UCLA 75th Anniversary, with a
keynote
address by former President Clinton, an address by former Israeli
Foreign
Minister Shimon Peres and a reception honoring former Pakistan Prime
Minister
Benazir Bhutto.
Lighting Designer |
Bob Dickinson |
(announced Jan. 16,
2008)
As one of the most celebrated and respected lighting designers in the
industry,
Dickinson's career has spanned 30 years and earned him numerous awards,
including 15 Emmys. With more than 1,000 on-screen credits, highlights
include three Olympic Games, dozens of award shows, the Kennedy Center
Honors and televised music specials for artists such as the Eagles,
Fleetwood
Mac, Rolling Stones, U2, Cher, Billy Joel and Elton John. Dickinson
worked
on the last three Democratic National Conventions and the 1997
Presidential
Inaugural Gala.
Audio Designer |
Pat Baltzell |
(announced Jan. 16,
2008)
With nearly 25 years of experience designing and engineering sound
systems,
the four-time Emmy winner specializes in large-scale live televised
specials
including two Olympic Games, dozens of award shows and 11 Super Bowl
halftime
presentations. Baltzell has also designed several major movie premiers
including the Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars, Lion King and A Shark's
Tale.
With a music degree from Northwestern, Baltzell is a member of the
Audio
Engineering Society, the Cinema Audio Society and the Television
Academy.
and not sure where fits in:
Speechwriting Co-Director |
Jeff Nussbaum |
Nussbaum served as on-site writer,
editor, and presentation coach in the 2000 and 2004 conventions. He 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.
Official
Providers
and former
Deputy CEO for
Administration
and Finance |
Jim McMullen |
(announced April 12,
2007)
A principal with the Council for Excellence in Government.
McMullen
served as a career civil servant for 26 years at the U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL). When he retired in 2004 he was Deputy Assistant
Secretary
for Budget and Strategic Planning, responsible for the DOL budget which
totaled $60 billion and 17,000 staff. After retiring McMullen was
a principal with SRA International, Inc., a provider of information
technology
services and solutions.
Copyright
© 2007, 2008 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action |
|