Obama General Election Campaign Organization, Iowa
revised April 14, 2009  disclaimer
See: David Larter.  "Alumnus describes Obama’s ‘nearly flawless’ campaign."  The Collegian.  Feb. 12, 2009.  (University of Richmond student newspaper)
According to Campaign for Change field director Trip Wellde, cited in the article:
   -The campaign put the win number at 850,000 votes.
   -There were 600,000 strong voting Democrats that the campaign did not need to worry about.
   -The campaign focused on a) on getting 125,000 weak voting Democrats to vote and b) winning 125,000 Independent votes.

Obama for America   >
State Director Jackie Norris
Senior advisor on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign (announced March 15, 2007).  Taught at Johnston High School in Johnston, Iowa and previously was a government and history teacher at Ames High School.  Before marrying John Norris, Jackie Dycke served as political director on Vice President Al Gore’s 1999-2000 Iowa caucus campaign.  Finance director on Tom Vilsack's 1998 campaign for governor.  Worked in Washington D.C. for seven years on Capitol Hill, in the White House as a scheduler for Vice President Gore, and at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
 
Communications Director Brad Anderson
(announced July 2, 2008)  Started as a partner at LinkStrategies in May 2008.  Communications director to then-Secretary of State Chet Culver's campaign for Governor and continued as Gov. Culver's communications director, Aug. 2006-May 2008.  Worked for LinkStrategies, the Des Moines-based political consulting firm.  Policy director on John Edwards' 2003-04 Iowa caucus campaign.  Research director for Sen. Tom Harkin's 2002 re-election campaign.  Senior research associate at the DNC during the 2000 presidential election.  Researcher on Edwards' 1998 Senate campaign.  Graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in political science/criminal justice.

Press Secretary
 Jenni Lee
Press secretary on former Sen. John Edwards 2007-08 Iowa caucus campaign, and also worked as a deputy press secretary in Chapel Hill.  Deputy press secretary for Edwards' One America Committee in the 2006 cycle.  During Fall 2004, she worked as assistant to Peter Sher, the campaign manager for Edwards, the Vice Presidential nominee.

Political Director
 Joseph Jones 
Director of governmental affiars for the Iowa Finance Authority.  Previously a spokesman for Gov. Tom Vilsack.
New Media Director
 Zach Edwards
Joined the Obama campaign in early 2007 as an intern organizing North-West Las Vegas, and started as co-director of the Nevada New Media team in September 2007.  Edwards then directed New Media operations in New Mexico, Texas, North Carolina, and South Dakota.


Campaign for Change
General Election Director Chelsea Kammerer
Started as South East regional field director on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign and later served as field director on the Ohio primary campaign.  Deputy field director for the MN DFL Coordinated Campaign in 2006.  Fundraiser for Sen. Dianne Feinstein in Spring 2006.  Assistant to the finance director at the DCCC, 2005.  Field organizer in Anchorage on Tony Knowles' 2004 race for U.S. Senate in Alaska.  Graduate of Georgetown University, 2004.


Field Director Tripp Wellde
(announced July 2, 2008)  Started on the Obama campaign on March 3, 2007, working in Davenport, IA for the caucuses, and later served as a regional field director in Nevada, Minnesota, and Ohio, and as deputy field director in North Carolina.  Graduate of the University of Richmond.


Regional Organization


Deputy Political Director Tim Gannon
Led Iowa efforts for "Ask the Candidates About Darfur," a national campaign of the Genocide Intervention Network, during the caucuses.  Worked on Mike Blouin's campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2006.  Iowa Democratic Party House Campaign Director in the 2004 cycle.  Graduate of the University of Iowa.  Native of Mingo, IA.

 
Policy Director
 Josh Bendor
Previously a policy associate on the campaign.  Research assistant with The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution. Worked as a homeland security contractor. B.A. in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale, 2005.  From Stanford, California.

     
Voter File Dave Cole
    

Operations Director Katy Chapman
Started on the campaign as volunteer coordinator in Nashua, NH during the primary, then out of state statewide volunteer coordinator for the Pennsylvania  primary.  Kindergarten teacher in Loudoun County, VA, 2005-07.  B.A.E. in early childhood education from Arizona State University, 2005.


GOTV Director Jesse Harris
Director of the Iowa Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign (see note below).  Political director at Citizens for Tom Harkin through Feb. 2008.  Iowa field director on Tom Vilsack for President.  In the 2006 cycle Harris served as field director on the Chet Culver for Governor campaign, then as field director on the coordinated campaign.  In the 2004 cycle Harris served as Warren County field organizer on John Edwards for President during the Iowa caucus campaign, then as Linn County regional field director on the coordinated campaign.  May 2003 graduate of Simpson College with a double major in history and political science.


Voter Protection
 Thomas Abt
Associate at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton in New York.



Note: former Congressman Jim Leach (R) endorsed Obama on Aug. 12, 2008.



Coordinated Campaign  |  420 Watson Powell Way  |  Des Moines, Iowa 50309
See Jason Hancock.  "Dems' Coordinated Campaign Largely Disbanded, Replaced by Obama Staff."  Iowa Independent.  July 3, 2008.
Director Jesse Harris
Political Director at Citizens for Tom Harkin through Feb. 2008.  Iowa field director on Tom Vilsack for President.  In the 2006 cycle Harris served as field director on the Chet Culver for Governor campaign, then as field director on the coordinated campaign.  In the 2004 cycle Harris served as Warren County field organizer on John Edwards for President during the Iowa caucus campaign, then as Linn County regional field director on the coordinated campaign.  May 2003 graduate of Simpson College with a double major in history and political science.




Iowa Democratic Party  |  5661 Fleur Drive  |  Des Moines, Iowa  50321   >
Chairman Scott Brennan
(elected Dec. 2, 2006)  Practiced law with the Davis Brown Law Firm, and served as the firm's president.  Brennan has served a number of terms on the Polk County Democratic Central Committee and has served as president of the Twenty-First Century Forum.  Graduated from University of Iowa law school in 1993.  Worked for Sen. Tom Harkin in Washington, DC, 1987-90.  Undergraduate degree from Grinnell College.  Native of Indianola.
   
Executive Director Mike Milligan
(Started as interim executive director in Nov. 2004)  Also owner of Shane’s Rib Shack in Clive, opened in March 2007, and owner of Milligan Consulting, LLC.  Deputy campaign manager on the 2002 Vilsack-Pederson gubernatorial campaign.  Director, Iowa Governor’s Office on Volunteerism; executive director of Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service.  Worked on Sen. Tom Harkin's 1996 re-election campaign.  B.A. in communication studies and political science from Iowa State University, 1997.  Native of Wellsburg, Iowa (Grundy County).
 
Political Director Norm Sterzenbach
(announced Dec. 5, 2006)  Most recently served as deputy campaign manager for Chet Culver's successful gubernatorial campaign.   In 2004 he served as caucus director for the American Association of Retired People (AARP).  In 2000 he served as the eastern Iowa field director on Bill Bradley’s campaign.  Native of Cedar Rapids.
 
Caucus to Convention Manager Brendan Summers
Graduate of All America PAC's Camp Bayh program.
 
Field Director Jeanette Ward
Deputy political director on Chet Culver's 2006 campaign for Governor.  Field organizer on Sen. Tom Daschle's unsuccessful 2004 re-election campaign.  M.A. in political studies from the University of Illinois at Springfield, 2005.
 
Field Organizer Matthew Peirce

 
Rural Organizer Josh Robinson

 
Outreach Coordinators Andrew Smith
Felipe Gallardo

 
Communications Director Brooke Borkenhagen
Borkenhagen previously worked as press aide to New Hampshire Congressman Paul Hodes; she also took a leave to serve as spokesperson for the Obama for America campaign in North Dakota in the lead up to the February 5th caucus.  Worked on Hodes’ 2006 campaign when he unseated a six-term incumbent congressman.  Prior to that, Borkenhagen interned in the communications department at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and also for John Kerry for President during the 2004 Iowa caucus.  Native of Southern Minnesota. 

Researcher and Press Assistant David Frost

 
Director of Information Technology Drew Miller
Previously IT assistant for the IDP.  A regional field director (central Iowa) on the 2006 Iowa Coordinated Campaign.  Communications and field director on Ryan Doll for Ames City Council, 2005.  Canvasser for the Iowa Democratic Party in Fall 2004.   Iowa State University.
 
Deputy IT Director
 Erica Liabo

Information Technology Assistant  Bryant Ross
 

Finance Director Carissa Swanstrom
Worked on Chet Culver's 2006 campaign for Governor.  Worked on Dick Gephardt's Iowa caucus campaign, 2003.  Graduate of the University of Iowa.  From Ottumwa.

Finance Assistant Melanie Scott

 
Comptroller Melissa Watson

 
Office Manager Donna Latessa


House Campaign Director Kevin Boyd
House Campaign Deputy Adam Phillips
Deputy House Finance Director
 Meghan Lee

 
Senate Campaign Director Amber Pringnitz
Senate Finance Director Zach Cummings
Senate Operations Manager
 Craig Muenzer


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