Friends of Herman Cain - Organization

Key People-Herman Cain
Friends of Herman Cain, Inc. P.O. Box 2158, Stockbridge, Georgia 30281 [website]
The campaign underwent major growth starting September, and particularly following P5. On Nov. 14, 2011 the campaign reported 75 staff.
suspended campaign Dec. 3, 2011...announced candidacy May 21, 2011...exploratory committee announced Jan. 12, 2011

(page updated January 2, 2011)
for additions, corrections and other changes contact

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CEO Herman Cain

Chief Political Strategist and Chief of Staff Mark Block

Block had been state director of the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity since 2005. He did consulting and fundraising through Mark Block and Associates, and has worked on numerous campaigns, including as campaign manager for state Supreme Court Justice Jon Wilcox's 1997 campaign. Midwest director of NCR Corporation, and founder of Telecommunications Group, LLC and GeoMarketing, Inc. Legislative assistant to Rep. Bill Stieger. Graduate of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 1977. Elected as a Winnebago County Board Supervisor at age 18 in 1974.

Executive Vice President/Deputy Chief of Staff Linda J. Hansen

Experience includes senior vice-president, executive director of the Wisconsin Prosperity Network, Inc..

Field and Political

Vice President of National Field Operations Jamie Brazil

(announced July 14, 2011) Served as national director of McCain's Citizens for McCain coalition. "more than 30 years in national and international politics."

National Political Director Bo Harmon

Prior to joining the campaign Harmon did consulting as Scorpio Public Affairs, a firm he started in early 2011. Vice president and partner at Response America, a Republican fundraising and voter contact firm, 2007-10. National voter contact director on John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. Campaign manager on Gov. Bob Ehrlich's 2006 re-election campaign. Deputy communications director at the NRCC in 2004. Campaign manager on Saxby Chambliss' upset win for U.S. Senate in 2002. President of Capitol Communications Strategies (CCS), a public relations subsidiary of Smith, Johnson & Carr. Spokesman on Lamar Alexander's presidential campaign in 1999. Deputy communications director for Sen. Bill Frist. Graduate of Vanderbilt University. Alabama native.

Vice President of Coalitions and Surrogates; Special Advisor to the Chief of Staff Imri Eisner

(Oct. 22, 2011) Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, April 2006-Oct. 2011. Served as deputy national director of the McCain-Palin campaign's Citizens for McCain coalition, 2008. J.D. from Cornell Law School, 2005. B.A. from University of Pennsylvaina College of Arts and Sciences and B.S. from University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, 2001.

Robert Upton

Executive director of the International Christian Leadership Coalition. Evangelical liaison on congressional campaign in Ohio and Florida. Executive director of The Apostolic Congress, which campaigned for spiritual consciousness in politics. Apostolic liaison to the White House. Gospel recording artist. Originally from Connellsville, PA.

Senior Executive Assistant to Jamie Brazil Radha Hirsch

Policy

Vice President of Policy; Senior Economic Advisor Rich Lowrie

(Ohio) Managing director-investments at Lowrie/Carney/String/Smith Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors since Feb. 2008. Senior vice president at McDonald Investments, 1997-2008; market strategies at McDonald & Company Securities, 1994-97 and director of portfolio strategies at McDonald Investments, 1993-97. B.S. in accountancy from Case Western Reserve University.

Vice President of Campaign Communications; Foreign Policy and Security Advisor J.D. Gordon

(from Sept. 1, 2011) Gordon was on the verge of launching a think tank, the Center for Security and Diplomacy, before he joined the campaign. He was also doing consulting as J.D. Gordon Communications in Washington, DC. Served as Defense Department spokesman for the Western Hemisphere in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, under both Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary Robert Gates from 2005-09, and is a retired Navy Commander and career public affairs officer with 20 years of active duty service. Graduate of the U.S. Air Force's Air Command and Staff College. M.A. in diplomacy from Norwich University. B.A. in communications from Pennsylvania State University, where he was in NROTC.

Policy Coordinator Clark Barrow

(from Jan. 2010; briefs Cain daily, lead research assistant, debate prep) News anchor and reporter at News/Talk 750 WSB. Graduate of Kennesaw State University, 2009.

Advisors
(Middle East) Roger Pardo Maurer

Deputy assistant secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere, 2001-06. Reservist in U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan (2002) and Iraq (2006-07). Managing partner of an international consulting firm with offices in Washington D.C. and Mexico City. Author of Access Mexico.

(Immigration) Manny Rosales

Deputy director of coalitions at the RNC under Michael Steele, started June 2009. Director of the Washington office of The Latino Coalition. Assistant administrator of the Small Business Administration under President George W. Bush. Chairman of the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce while in the private sector. Born in Nicaragua.

(International Economics) Joseph Humire

Director of institute relations at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, from June 2008. B.A. in economics and global affairs from George Mason University, 2008. Inspector-Instructor staff at the U.S. Marine Corps, 1999-2006.

See Josh Rogin. "Exclusive: Inside Herman Cain's new foreign policy team." Foreign Policy, Oct. 26, 2011.

Communications

Vice President of Campaign Communications; Foreign Policy and Security Advisor J.D. Gordon

Assistant Vice President of Campaign Communications Robert Brockhaus

(Oct. 2011) President and founder of Brock Haus Rentals, 2000-June 2011. Manager of community committee relations at the Heritage Foundation, 2008-09. Director of member relations at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, 2005-08. Corporate relations associate at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2004-05. MBA in international business and finance from The George Washington University, School of Business, 2007; B.S. in marketing and management from Saint Louis University.

Assistant Vice President for Communications-TV and Radio Booking Matt Martini

Vice president of technical services and management at the House of Rock from Jan. 2010. Confidential management assistant to the General Counsel at the Federal Labor Relations Authority, 2007-09. Legislative correspondent to U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-WI), 2006-07. Consultant in sales and marketing, 2005-06. Policy and planning analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 2001-03. Policy and planning analyst at the Wisconsin Office for Building Tomorrow's Workforce, 1998-2001; also communications coordinator for the Wisconsin Fatherhood Initiative, 1999-2002. IMBA from University of South Carolina, The Moore School of Business Administration, 2005; B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1998.

Senior Advisor, Rapid Response Mark Pfeifle

Vice president at S4 Inc. from Feb. 2009. Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Global Outreach at the White House. Directed the Social Security Information Center at the U.S. Department of Treasury, 2005. Communications director for the 2004 Republican National Convention. Press secretary and later communications director for Interior Secretary Gale Norton, 2001-04. Deputy communications director at the Republican National Committee, 1997-2001. Marketing and advertising director of the Grand Forks Air Force Base newspaper and a stringer and freelancer for The Associated Press and USA Today. Managed a radio station in Wishek. Bachelor's degree in communications from the University of North Dakota.

State Communications Director Kathy Hoekstra

(lattter part of Nov. 2011) Previously a communications specialist at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Prior to joining the Center, Hoekstra worked nearly 15 years in television and radio news broadcasting in a variety of roles including news anchor, reporter and public affairs program producer and host. Graduate of the University of Michigan.

New Media Michael Johnson

Previously worked with Mark Block at Americans for Prosperity in Wisconsin.

Operations

Vice President of Campaign Operations and External Affairs Edward Miyagishima

Most recently director of protocol and international affairs for the State of Florida. Director of scheduling and operations for Gov. elect Rick Scott and an advisor on his campaign. Special assistant and senior advisor to Rick Lazio 2010. Director of advance for Meg Whitman for Governor, June 2009-June 2010. Deputy director of advance for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Senior advance representative to President George W. Bush, 2007-09. Extensive experience in marketing and sales including director of global sales for Wyndham Worldwide, 2000-07, and director of sales and marketing for Group Leaders of America, 1992-98. Staff assistant on the Bush/Quayle '88 campaign in California.

Vice President of Operations Michelle Gwaltney

Human Resources/CFO Lisa Shiflett

Director of Advance Operations Scott Sidney

(from the beginning) From Cedarburg, WI (greater Milwaukee area). Runs a fiberglass repair business, Colorblend Services, LLC. Worked three years with Americans for Prosperity on grassroots organizing, and did consulting with TEA Party groups; also worked briefly as grassroots liaison on Rebecca Kleefisch for Lt. Governor. MBA from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee; Master of Information Science from University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

Director of Candidate Operations Nathan Naidu

Did advance and press on the Ron Johnson for U.S. Senate campaign in Wisconsin. Degree in political science from the University of Alabama, 2005.

Events and Fundraising Coordinator Linda Kelley Smith

(Oct. 2011) Event and fundraising chairman for the DeKalb County Republican Party from Sept. 2010. Events and fundraising coordinator on Liz Carter for Congress, 2010. Banqueting and special events director for Rehoboth Baptist Churh. Account manager at Roadshows Catering, 2001-07.

Legal

General Counsel Scott Bieniek

Associate at Bopp, Coleson & Bostron, 2008-10. Legislative assistant for Congressman Judy Biggert, 2004-05. J.D. from University of Illinois college of Law, 2008. B.A. in political science from University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 2003.

IOWA

Headquarters: 8550 New York Ave., Urbandale (headquarters and Iowa team announced July 5; grand opening July 11, 2011)

State Chairman Steve Grubbs

(announced Oct. 20, 2011) Founder (1993) and CEO of Victory Enterprises, Inc., a consulting and communications firm based in Davenport. Consultant on Tommy Thompson's 2007 Iowa campaign. Senior advisor on the Forbes 2000 campaign. Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, 1998. Candidate for U.S. Senate, 1996. Iowa Caucus chairman, Dole for President, 1996. State Representative, 1991-97. Polling and research director for Tauke for Congress, 1988. Campus director of University of Iowa Students for Dole in 1987, then a field staffer for Dole for President in 1988. J.D., University of Iowa School of Law, 1994. B.B.A., University of Iowa School of Business, 1989.

State Director Larry Tuel

(June 2011) Des Moines area attorney and realtor. Active in the 2010 Branstad for Governor campaign and the McCain campaign. Tuel served at director of the Iowa Finance Authority from 1986-90, and earlier as general counsel. He has earned M.P.A. and J.D. degrees from Drake University.

Phone Bank Director Steven Hensler

(June 2011) Hensler's experience includes aide to an Iowa state Senator, sales representative for Victory Enterprises, Inc., Dane County coordinator and social media on the Chad Lee for Congress campaign in Wisconsin in 2010, and team leader for Two Men and a Truck. He has studied at Christ for the Nations and Madison Area Technical College.

Field Organization Zach Dalluge

(June 2011) Experience includes legislative assistant to state Rep. Annette Sweeney. From Grafton (Worth County).

Communications Director Lisa Lockwood

(June 2011) Worked on the Branstad/Reynolds campaign in 2010. Communications director/speechwriter for Gov. Branstad during his third term. News director at Simpson College. Worked for the Inidanola Record Herald and Tribune. Master's degree in journalism/public relations from Drake University.

Endorsements
Pottawattamie County GOP Chairman Jeff Jorgensen (announced July 31, 2011)
Former Iowa and American Farm Bureau President Dean Kleckner of Urbandale (announced Nov. 2, 2011)

and
On Nov. 19, 2011 the campaign announced it had reached 800 precinct captains around the state.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Headquarters: 62 Lowell Street, Manchester (grand opening Aug. 19, 2011)

Acting State Director Charlie Spano

...from PA.

role uncertain Jamie Coughlin

VP and entrepreneur in residence at Amoskeag Business Incubator.

Endorsements
Rep. Steven D. Smith of Charleston (District 5-Sullivan Co.) (announced Aug. 19, 2011)
(announced Oct. 11, 2011)
Rep. J. Michael Ball of Manchester (District 9-Hillsborough Co.)
Rep. William Panek of Farmington (District 3-Strafford Co.) switched to Gingrich
Rep. Charles Brosseau of Campton (District 6-Grafton Co.)
Rep. Jordan G. Ulery of Hudson (District 27-Hillsborough Co.)
Jack Kimball, former chairman of the New Hampshire GOP Committee
(announced Nov. 18, 2011)
Rep. Sam Cataldo of Farmington (District 3-Strafford Co.)switched to Gingrich
Rep. William Condra of Wilton (District 4-Hillsborough Co.)
Rep. Kevin Reichard of Derry (District 5-Rockingham Co.)
Rep. Joseph Thomas of Merrimack (District 19-Hillsborough Co.)
Thomas Colantuono, former U.S. Attorney for NH
former Rep. Mark Carter (Hillsborough-19)
former Rep. Robert Giuda (Grafton-02)
former Rep. James A. Lawrence III (Hillsborough-18)

South Carolina

Headquarters: 443 Meeting Street, Unit D, West Columbia (this was the HQ for Nikki Haley's primary campaign...grand opening Oct. 7, 2011: Cain not there)

State Director William F. Head

Upstate Director Leigh Steele

based out of Greenville

Pee Dee/Lowcountry Director Erin Ashley

based out of Myrtle Beach

South Carolina Field Director Sarah Harper Scott

based out of North Augusta/Aiken

Endorsement
Rep. Ralph Norman (District 48-Rock Hill)
(from Oct. 7, 2011) Elected in 2009 special election. Candidate for Congress in 2006. Elected to the House representing District 48 in 2004 and served one term. Real estate developer at Warren Norman Company, a real estate development business his father founded; joined the firm in 1975. B.S. degree in business from Presbyterian College. Lifelong resident of York County.

County Chairs
Richland - Matt Gottlieb

Florida

(Florida organization announced Oct. 26, 2011)

Statewide Chairs
Former State Sen. Carey Baker

Co-owner of A.W. Peterson Gun Shop; member of the FL National Guard and Iraq War veteran, and former Florida Senator, District 20.

Former Mayor Rick Baker

Director of USF Innovation Project and former Mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida.

State Rep. Scott Plakon

Founder, President & CEO of Nationwide Publishing Company, Inc., and member of the Florida House Representative, District 37, since 2008. (Plakon announced his endorsement of Cain on Sept. 23, 2011; he had backed Pawlenty before he withdrew).

Kathleen Shanahan

Chairman and CEO of Uretek Florida and former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and Former Governor Jeb Bush.

Senior Strategists
Senior Campaign Advisor Arlene DiBenigno

Founder and president of Unico Strategies, and prominent political advisor for campaigns including Gov. Rick Scott, Gov. Charlie Crist, and Gov. Jeb Bush, and the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain.

Senior Message Strategist Adam Goodman

President of The Victory Group.

Key Campaign Staff

Director of County Chairs Deborah Cox-Rous

Volunteer Coordinator Nancy Hayes

Director of Coalitions Kamilah Prince

Co-Director for 912 Patriots Barbara Haselden

Co-Director for 912 Patriots Karen Jaroch

Director for Fair Tax/Tea Party Support Lou Marin

Regional Field Reps
Jacksonville -- Matt McCluskey

Central Florida -- Antori Miranda

Tampa -- Suzanne Moore

Statewide Co-Chairs

(announced Nov. 1, 2011)
Representative Larry Ahern - District 51 – Pinellas County (endorsed Sept. 30)
Senator Thad Altman – District 24 – Brevard, Orange, and Seminole counties
Councilman Bill Bishop – Vice President, Jacksonville City Council
Representative Matt Caldwell – District 73 – Lee County
Councilwoman Teresa Heitmann - Naples City Council
Commissioner Tom Henning - Collier County
Commissioner Gardner Hussey - City of Altamonte Springs
Commissioner Daniel Leeper – Nassau County
Vice Mayor Jon Miller– City of Casselberry
Former Secretary of State Sandra Mortham
Senator Steve Oelrich - District 14 – Alachua
Representative Liz Porter - District 11 – Gilchrist, Lafayette, Suwanee
Representative Jimmy Smith - District 43 – Citrus, Hernando, Levy
Senator Rhonda Storms - District 10 – Brandon
Representative Carlos Trujillo - District 116 – Miami-Dade County (endorsed Sept. 30)

Florida Finance Team

(announced Nov. 3, 2011)
Statewide Chairman Martin Garcia (Tampa)
Statewide Co-Chairman Tony Sleiman (Jacksonville)
Regional Chairs: Joe Mobley (Jacksonville) - Hunter Sleiman (Jacksonville) - Rick Morales (Jacksonville) - Cotton Fletcher (North Florida) - Gloria Fletcher (North Florida) - Blake Fletcher (North Florida) - Dr. Jason Rosenberg (North Florida) - Bill Diamond (S.E. Florida) - Benjamin Newman (Central Florida) - Jack Tymann (S.W. Florida / Naples) - Steve Burton (Tampa Bay)

County Chairs

(announced Nov. 9, 2011) in all 67 counties.

Nevada

State Director Elicia Afton (Elicia Huffaker)

(March 2011) Chief of staff on the Fiore for Congress campaign in NV-3, to July 2010. Campaign manager on Cannon for Virginia State Delegate campaign, 2009. High school religion teacher at Holy Spirit Catholic High School, 2007-08. In 2005-06 worked on several mayoral and city council elections. B.A. in communications from Loyola University New Orleans, 2005.

Key Supporter Niger Innis

Arizona

State Chairman State Sen. Lori Klein (District 6)

(Oct. 2011) Elected to the State Senate in 2010. Owner of Lori Klein & Associates, which specializes in fundraising for non-profit issue advocacy and limited government projects. Anthem resident.

Michigan

Senior Michigan Strategist John Yob

Partner in Strategic National Consulting, LLC; previously president of Independent Campaign Marketing Inc.. Deputy political director on McCain-Palin; initially the campaign's Michigan director. Graduate of the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA); former chairman of the Michigan College Republicans. Youngest son of Michigan RNC Committeeman Chuck Yob.

Georgia

State Headquarters 3700 DeKalb Technology Parkway, Atlanta ...grand opening Dec. 3, 2011

Co-State Director Rachel Little

Has been involved in several state and local campaigns.
Co-State Director Dave McCleary

Republican activist for more than 30 years and was part of the GOP State Committee from 2007-11. He is a North Fulton and Friends Tea Party leader.

Press Secretary Alfredo Ortiz

(announced Nov. 28, 2011) Experience includes management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in their Washington, DC office.

Endorsements
(announced Aug. 31, 2011)
Senator Joshua McKoon (R-Columbus)
Representative Billy Maddox (R-Zebulon)
Representative E. Culver "Rusty" Kidd (I-Milledgeville)
(announced Nov. 9, 2011)
Senator Renee Unterman (R-Gwinnett)

Maryland

State Director Karen Winterling

President and CEO of Dealer's Greatest Assets. Former Howard County Republican Club president. From Ellicott City.

Ohio

State Director Amy Sutherly

Mike Clarett

Tennessee

State Director Michael Branch

Virginia

State Director Laura Ricketts

Wisconsin

State Director Lora Halberstadt

An early TEA Party activist (March 2009) from Caledonia (Racine area).

unofficial

Artists Raising Cain

Former

former

Director of Media Relations Ellen Carmichael

(resignation "on good terms" reported by CNN Oct. 1, 2011) Media projects manager for the 2010 Southern Republican Leadership Conference. In 2009, she was Louisiana state coordinator for Americans for Prosperity. A communications associate at Americans for Tax Reform in Washington, DC. Worked in the newsroom for Baton Rouge’s newspaper, The Advocate. Carmichael has worked on a number of campaigns as both a consultant—in 2007 she joined The Political Firm—and as a staffer. Degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University. From Baton Rouge, LA.

Assistant to the Communications Director Francis Boustany

(June 2011-resignation reported by CNN Oct. 1, 2011) B.A. in mass communication from Louisiana State University, 2011.

National Field Director Dan Tripp

(Jan. 2011) From Greenville, SC. Most recently national political director at Americans for Limited Government; started there in June 2006. State Rep in the South Carolina General Assembly, 1994-2006. President and owner of Carolina Mortgage Solutions, 2004-06. Founder and operation of Tripp Insurance Agency, 1995-2004. M.B.A. from Winthrop University, 2002. B.S. from Suffolk University, 1993.

New Hampshire Operations Director Matt Murphy

(resigned effective June 24, 2011, reported by John DiStaso, because of concern about insufficient resources for the effort in the state; exploratory committee announced Murphy on March 18, 2011) A NH field representative for the NRA during the 2010 midterm elections, and also director of governmental affairs at Whitefield & Burke from Dec. 2009. Executive director of the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition, mid-2008-Jan. 2010. Hampstead town chairman for Rudy Giuliani. Murphy graduated from Concordia University of Montreal, Quebec in 2007 and the U.S. Army Armor Reconnaissance School in Fort Knox, Kentucky. He also served as an armored reconnaissance specialist in the U.S. Army.

Iowa Organizational Director Tina Goff

(May 2011; resignation reported by The Iowa Republican on July 1, 2011, for same reasons cited by Matt Murphy) Volunteer coordinator/mid-Iowa field director on Branstad 2010 campaign. Analyst and project manager at Genesis Marketing and Research, Inc., 2008-09. Central Iowa regional director/volunteer coordinator on Fred Thompson's caucus campaign. Financial director at Day Care for Exceptional Children, 1997-2007.

Straw Poll Coordinator Kevin Hall

(resigned June 30, 2011) NW Iowa field staff on Fred Thompson's caucus campaign.

Iowa Charlie Gruschow

(on staff May 2011; resignation effective July 3, 2011, reported by Caffeinated Thoughts on July 5, 2011) Gruschow was a founder of the Des Moines Tea Party. Des Moines Register's Jennifer Jacobs reported on April 16, 2011 that, "Cain has no paid staff in Iowa but volunteer Charlie Gruschow, a founder of the Des Moines tea party, has become his top organizer."

Regional Field Director Jim Zeiler

(resigned latter part of June 2011)

Senior Political Advisor Scott D. Toomey

(exploratory through end of May 2011) Served as treasurer of the Hermanator PAC. President and chief creative officer of Junior's Promotions starting Sept. 2004. He was a director at BNI in Wisconsin, coaching and training small business owners and others, 2007-09. Political director on Russ Darrow for U.S. Senate, 2003-04. Assistant sales manager at Pacesetter Window Corporation, 2001-03. Organizational director at the Republican Party of Wisconsin, 1999-2001. Business finance specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, first part of 1999. Coalition coordinator on the Governor Thompson Committee, 1998. B.S. in business administration and finance from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Note
See also:

Susan Saulny. "As Cain Promotes His Management Skills, Ex-Aides Tell of Campaign in Chaos." The New York Times, Oct. 26, 2011.

Ryan J. Foley. "Testimony: Cain campaign concealed gay aide's role." The Associated Press, Sept. 14, 2011