Charlotte DNC Host Committee, Inc.
Committee for Charlotte 2012
 400 S. Tryon St., Suite 5D, Charlotte, NC  28285.  ph. 704-330-2012.

(page updated April 6, 2012)

...to raise $36.6 million.1

Co-Chair  Mayor Anthony Foxx

Elected Nov. 3, 2009.  Also deputy general counsel for DesignLine, a bus manufacturer, since Dec. 2009.  Elected at-large member of Charlotte City Council in 2005 and re-elected in 2007.  Business litigator at Hunton & Williams, 2001-09.  Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee.  A trial attorney for the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  Served as a judicial clerk for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit.  Attorney at Smith, Helms, Mulliss & Moore.  Law degree from New York University School of Law, 1996; bachelor’s degree in history from Davidson College, 1993; first African American elected to student body president.  Raised in the Dale Brook of Charlotte neighborhood.

 

Co-Chair  Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers

President and chief executive officer of Duke Energy since the merger of Duke Energy and Cinergy in April 2006.  Before the merger, Rogers served as Cinergy's chairman and chief executive officer for more than 11 years.  Prior to the formation of Cinergy, he joined PSI Energy in 1988 as the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.  Deputy general counsel for litigation and enforcement for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Executive vice president of interstate pipelines for the Enron Gas Pipeline Group.  Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. Assistant to the chief trial counsel at FERC; a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Kentucky; and assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  A reporter for the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader.  B.B.A. and J.D. degree from the University of Kentucky.

Steering and Host Commttee Members

list


Executive Director  Dr. Dan Murrey

(announced April 28, 2011)  Orthopedic spine surgeon and recently CEO of OrthoCarolina.  Served a term as an at-large member of the Mecklenburg County Commission, 2008-10.  M.D. and M.P.P. from Harvard University, 1992.  A.B. in religion from Davidson College, 1987. 

leadership team announced June 1, 2011...

Deputy Executive Director of External Relations  Torre Jessup

Longtime staffer to Rep. Mel Watt; most recently Watt's district director since March 2007.  B.A. from Morehouse College, 1994.


Chief of Staff  Dockery Clark

Chief marketing office for Professional Bull Riders, Sept. 2010-June 2011.  Director of sports and entertainment marketing for MillerCoors, 2005-09.  Executive at Bank of America, 1993-2004.  B.A. in economics from UNC Chapel Hill.  Greensboro native. 


Chief of Event Planning  Mary Tribble

More than two decades in event production and management; founded Charlotte-based Tribble Creative Group in 1985.  B.A. in art from Wake Forest University, 1982.
(Jan. 31, 2012 announcement of 13 venues to host delegate and media welcome events)

Director of Business Relations  Robyn Hamilton

(July 2011)  President and CEO of Carolinas MSDC, a regional non-profit, from Jan. 2007-Sept. 2011.  Business development specialsi for the U.S. Department of Commerce, MBDA, 1997-2007.  Deputy director of the South Dekalb Business Incubator, 1998-99.  M.B.A. from Queens University of Charlotte, 2009.  B.A. in human resources management from Saint Leo University, 1994.
(Sept. 1, 2011 announcement of vendor directory)


Press Secretary  Suzi Emmerling

(Aug. 2011)  Previously senior communications officer for the Apollo Alliance for a year.  Press aide and special events coordinator at the Center for American Progress, 2007-10.  Associate director of programs at Envision EMI, 2003-07.  B.A. in French and political science from UCLA.


Director of Volunteer Operations  Courtney Counts

(Dec. 2011)  Account executive at Octagon in the latter half of 2011.  Volunteer services coordinator for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, 2010-11; also game operations for the Texas Brahmas Hockey Club, 2010-11.  Marketing assistant at Electronic Arts, Inc., 2009.  Sport marketing associate for the Walt Disney Company, 2008-09.  Ticket manager for the Orlando Predators Arena football team, 2006-07.  M.S. in sport administration from Florida State University, 2008.  B.A. in international affairs and political science from Florida State University, 2006.
(Feb. 23, 2012 announcement of volunteer management system)


Finance Director  Melissa Schwartz

Has worked as a self employed political consultant since 2007 (including Obama for America and PIC 2009).  Washington finance director on Cantwell 2006.  In 2004 cycle Schwartz served as finance director on McCaskill for Governor in Fall 2004; finance director on Metzl for Congress to Aug. 2004; and regional finance director on Kerry for President, 2003.  Deputy finance director on Jean Carnahan for Senate, 2002.  Director of scheduling for Sen. Jean Carnahan, 2001.  Fundraiser on Mel Carnahan for Senate, 1999-2000.  B.A. in political science from Saint Louis University, 1999.


Deputy Finance Director  Leah Chandler

Experience includes Midwest finance director at the DCCC, 2007-08.  Washington deputy finance director on Cantwell 2006.  Deputy finance director on Metzl for Congress to Aug. 2004.  B.A. in political science, history from University of Missouri-Columbia.


Grassroots Finance Director  Jackie Bateman
(Aug. 2011)  Previously finance director for the Minnesota DFL, 2009-11.  Deputy finance director on Al Franken for Senate, 2007-09.  Finance director on Tim Walz for Congress, 2005-06.  B.A. in political science from University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2005.



Chief Financial Officer  Bobby Martin

Forty-one years of accounting experience in Charlotte, specializing in auditing nonprofit organization.


Legal Counsel  Joe Sandler

Member of Sandler, Reiff & Young, P.C.. General counsel to the DNC, through the law firm, through 2008; general counsel to the DNC, on staff, Feb. 1993-May 1998.  Outside counsel to the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Democratic National Conventions; general counsel of the 1996 Democratic National Convention.  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.  Graduate of Harvard College summa cum laude in 1975 and of Harvard Law School with honors in 1978.

earlier...
President  Will Miller

(served as President/Acting Executive Director from July 4, 2010 until appointment of Murrey)  Organized the Social Venture Partners Charlotte chapter in 2005 after working 19 years in real estate.  Partner at Beacon Partners, real estate development, and earlier worked in real estate brokerage.  Worked in Washington, DC for Stanley Greenberg and on Capitol Hill.  Graduate of Davidson College.

Consultants

Tom McMahon

Partner at New Partners, a consulting firm. Acting executive director of Americans United for Change.  Executive director of the DNC, 2005-09.  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.

Karen Finney

Independent consultant.  Director of communications at the DNC, 2005-09.  Briefly deputy chief of staff for communications to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).  Communications director for Elizabeth Edwards on the Kerry-Edwards campaign (announced Aug. 31, 2004).  Press secretary for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign.  Director of business development at Scholastic Books in New York City.  Deputy director of presidential scheduling in the Clinton White House into 1998.  Served as one of two deputy press secretaries to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for the first four years of the Clinton Administration.  Member of the national advance team on Clinton's 1992 campaign.  California Scheduler/Field Representative to Sen. Alan Cranston.  Worked as a teaching assistant at the Crittendon Center for Young Women and Infants in Los Angeles.

Joe Sandler

Member of Sandler, Reiff & Young, P.C.. General counsel to the DNC, through the law firm, through 2008; general counsel to the DNC, on staff, Feb. 1993-May 1998.  Outside counsel to the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Democratic National Conventions; general counsel of the 1996 Democratic National Convention.  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.  Graduate of Harvard College summa cum laude in 1975 and of Harvard Law School with honors in 1978.


Under the contract signed with the DNC, the Host Committee will not accept contributions from corporations, PACs, federal lobbyists, Section 527 organizations and incorporated for-profit entities and will limit individual contributions to $100,000.

Statement from DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse on these new rules:

“From the very beginning, President Obama has placed a high priority on increasing the influence of grassroots and individual donors, and this convention will go further in that direction than any convention ever.  This convention and the new way it is being financed will allow more people from all over the country to be involved in this historic event, to have ownership of this convention and help fulfill the President’s vision for moving the country forward and winning the future.  This unprecedented step is another sign that things are continuing to change under President Obama's leadership and that this will, in fact, be the ‘People’s Convention.’”

Relevant provision from the convention contract:

Policies and Guidelines for Donations to the Host Committee

1. The Host Committee shall screen monetary and in-kind contributions in compliance with FEC regulations and policies and guidelines adopted by the DNCC, including, without limitation, a prohibition on the receipt by the Host Committee of contributions from the following:
(a) Any contribution whatsoever from any individual who is neither a US citizen nor a legal permanent resident of the U.S.;
(b) Monetary contributions from any incorporated for-profit entity;
(c) In-kind contributions from any corporation organized under the laws of, or with its principal place of business in a foreign country provided, however, that nothing shall prohibit in-kind contributions from any subsidiary of such corporation incorporated under the laws of a state within the United States, any tribal nation, the District of Columbia, or any territory of the United States, and provided that any such in-kind contributions from such a subsidiary must be made using revenue generated from U.S. operations;
(d) Monetary contributions in excess of $100,000 from any individual;
(e) In-kind contributions of goods or services from corporate entities that received TARP or other bail-out funds, unless those funds have been repaid in full to the U.S. Government;
(f) Monetary or in-kind contributions from political organizations as defined in Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, such as political action committees, unless approved in advance by the DNCC;
(g) Monetary or in-kind contributions from individuals registered as federal lobbyists under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; and
(h) Monetary or in-kind contributions from foundations established by or affiliated with any incorporated for-profit entity, unless approved in advance by the DNCC (and any such contribution approved by the DNCC would be subject to a limit of $100,000).

2. In addition to the guidelines above, the Host Committee shall comply with the following policies of the DNCC:
(a) No individual registered as a federal lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act may serve on the Host Committee;
(b) No incorporated entity may sponsor any event or any other items funded under the Master Contract unless approved in advance by the DNCC;
(c) No incorporated for-profit entity may sponsor any event or other items funded as part of hospitality activities undertaken by the Host Committee on behalf of the DNCC such as events for party representatives, foreign dignitaries, Convention delegates, volunteers or media representatives, unless approved in advance by the DNCC.
(d) All "Official Provider" designations shall be negotiated with the DNCC and the Host Committee and signed by the Host Committee;
(e) All targets for monetary, in-kind, official provider, or other type of contribution to the Host Committee shall be approved in advance by the DNCC;
(f) All contributions, monetary or in-kind, shall be disclosed publicly by the Host Committee within an agreed upon regular timeframe on the Host Committee's website; and
(g) The Host Committee shall develop a grassroots fundraising plan for review and approval by the DNCC within 60 days of the signing of the Master Contract.

 
>