Democratic National Committee: Technical Advisory Committee

Democratic National Committee's Technical Advisory Committee
To consider cities' proposals to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention

Tom McMahon, DNC Executive Director
(announced as DNC Executive Director on March 25, 2005) Executive Director of Democracy for America. Deputy campaign manager on Dean for America (announced May 22, 2003). Worked in the Clinton Administration from 1993-99, serving as associate deputy director in Vice President Gore's scheduling and advance office, as a public affairs specialist at the Department of Defense, and as White House liaison at the United States Information Agency. McMahon was involved in the Gore campaign in 2000, the Clinton campaign in 1996, and was a regional field director in Missouri for Clinton/Gore in 1992. Law degree from the University of Iowa; bachelor's degree in political science with an emphasis in international relations from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Leah Daughtry, DNC Chief of Staff
(also Chief of Staff at the DNC under Terry McAuliffe). Experience prior to the DNC includes Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management at the United States Department of Labor; Executive Director of Man to Man/Sister to Sister; Clinton-Gore 1992 Transition team; Director of Convention Management for the 1992 Democratic National Convention; Legislative Assistant to U.S. 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.

Matt Nugen, DNC Deputy Executive Director/Director of Convention Planning
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. Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Zoe Garmendia, DNC Senior Advisor for Convention Planning
Senior Advisor for Operations for the 2004 Democratic National Convention Committee and worked on the 2000 and 1996 conventions as Deputy Director for Convention Planning, Associate Director for Credentials, and Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Event Coordinator for the 53rd Presidential Inauguration, the 2000 Summer Olympics, and the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Joe Sandler, DNC Legal Counsel
Partner at Sandler, Reiff & Young, P.C. General counsel to the DNC, on staff, Feb. 1993-May 1998. Partner at Arent Fox, 1989-93. Staff counsel for the Democratic National Committee, 1986-89. Associate at Arent Fox Kintner Ploktin & Kahn in Washington, D.C., 1978-86. Graduated of Harvard College summa cum laude in 1975 and of Harvard Law School with honors in 1978.

Diane Dewhirst, Media Logistics
Experience includes press secretary to Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine).

Elaine Howard, Housing
Vice President for Meetings and Conferences at the Mortgage Bankers Association; started at MBA as Senior Director of Meetings and Conferences in January 2001. Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Labor, responsible for planning and event logistics for the department. Director of the Inaugural Balls with the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Committee, Director of Events with the Democratic National Committee, and as Director of Events with the Clinton/Gore 1996 presidential campaign. Previously, Director of Sales at Washington 's Embassy Row Hotel. Did her hospitality training at Marriott Corporation and the Club Managers Association of Australia. B.S. in psychology from Cornell University , and did graduate study at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Ricky Kirshner, Hall/Production
Freelance production executive since 1992; one of the entertainment industry's leading production executives. Kirshner was the Producer of the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston and the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Executive-in-Charge of Production for the 1996 and 1992 Democratic National Conventions, and the 1993 and 1997 Presidential Inaugural Galas. He has over 20 years of production experience at ABC, Radio City Music Hall, Smith-Hemion Productions and producing network shows.

Cameron Moody, Transportation
(Washington Post reported in Nov. 2005 that he joined the American Cancer Society as director of strategic planning and operations). Director of Operations for the 2004 Democratic National Convention Committee. Deputy Director of Logistics for the 2000 National Convention. Deputy Director of Transportation for the 1996 National Convention. Has worked on the G-8 Economic Summit, the Presidential Inaugural festivities and three Olympic Games. He has also worked as a marketing executive at Saucony in Peabody, MA.

Wally Podrazik, Media Logistics
Communications and logistics consultant. Handled media logistics at the Democratic conventions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Atlanta and San Francisco. Author or co-author of books on media and pop culture history, including Watching TV: Six Decades of American Television. Head writer for exhibits at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, opening in downtown Chicago in 2006. Graduate of Northwestern University's School of Communication.