Key People-Former Speaker Newt Gingrich
On March 4, 2011 Gingrich filed with the IRS to form Newt Exploratory 2012, a 527 political committee based in Atlanta. [website]

updated March 25, 2011 

Senior Advisor  Joe Gaylord

Gaylord served as president of Chesapeake Associates, a political consulting firm.  He was on the Board of Directors of GOPAC from 1989-99. He worked at the NRCC for eight years from 1981-89, including six years as executive director.  He worked at the RNC, including in the local elections campaign division, from 1975-81; while at the RNC he developed the Campaign Management College.  Gaylord started at the Republican State Central Committee in Iowa working in positions from field rep. to executive director.

Communications  Rick Tyler

Has worked for Gingrich for over ten years.  He is the founding director of Renewing American Leadership, a 501(c)(3) organization which seeks "to preserve America’s Judeo-Christian heritage by defending and promoting the three pillars of American civilization: freedom, faith and free markets." (Gingrich is honorary chairman).  Tyler was a candidate field trainer for GOPAC for 10 years.  He has also served as executive director of the Maine Republican Party. 

Senior Political Advisor  Rob Johnson

(reported March 23, 2011 by The Statesman) Senior advisor in Gov. Rick Perry (TX)'s office after managing his 2010 re-election campaign.  Chief of staff to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (TX); managed Dewhurst's 2002 campaign for Lt. Governor.  Chief of staff to Congressman Jay Dickey (AR)  Bachelor's degrees in political science and public relations from Southern Methodist University, 1996.

Legal  Stefan C. Passantino

Head of the Political Law practice at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP.


IOWA

House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer endorsed Gingrich during his Jan. 25, 2011 visit.  

Senior advisor Joe Gaylord has early 70s Iowa experience in Iowa; he started at the Republican State Central Committee in Iowa working in positions from field rep. to executive director. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE

David Carney has helped Gingrich with trip planning, although, as John DiStaso reports, he has not formally signed on.



SOUTH CAROLINA

Hotline OnCall reported on March 24, 2011 that former South Carolina Republican chairman Katon Dawson will be Newt Gingrich's top advisor in South Carolina if Gingrich runs.  Dawson was candidate for RNC chairman in Feb. 2009, finishing second to Michael Steele.  Elected Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party in spring 2002 and unanimously re-elected in 2004 and 2007, he served to May 2009.  President and general manager of family-owned Burns Auto Parts in Columbia.  Active in Republican Party politics for more than 40 years. "On Halloween night 1964, Dawson was just 8 years old when his mother drove him to the downtown auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina, to hear Ronald Reagan stump for Republican presidential nominee Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona."  B.S. in management from the University of South Carolina, 1979.




Newt's Empire

Gingrich Productions

Callista Gingrich - President

Gingrich Communications
Kathy G. Lubbers - President and CEO
Joseph DeSantis - Communications Director

Michelle Selesky - Communications Coordinator

Sylvia F. Garcia - Hispanic Outreach Director
Jorge Hurtado - Community Liaison


American Solutions PAC

Joe Gaylord


Renewing American Leadership (ReAL)

Rick Tyler - Founding Director


American Solutions for Winning the Future

Senior Leadership Team
Paige Bray - President
Vince Haley - Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Communications
Becky Burkett - Vice President & Chief Development Officer
Chief Operating Officer - Dan Varroney
Management
Fred Asbell - Education Reform Project Director
Tim Cameron - Director of Digital Operations
Steve Everley - Manager of Policy Research
Sarah Few - Director of Development
Christine Hall  - Program Manager
R.C. Hammond - Press Secretary
Lindsey Harvey - Associate Director of Development
Dan Kotman - Director of Online Communications
Michael Krull - National Director 
Benjamin Locher - Systems Analyst
Sukumar Manduva - Web Developer  
Amy Pass - Director of Major Gifts
Whitney Smith - Staff Assistant 
Adam Waldeck - Online Community Manager

The Newt Gingrich Companies
Chairman of the Board - Randy Evans

Center for Health Transformation (project of the Gingrich Group)
Nancy Desmond - CEO
David Merritt - Executive Vice President of Communications and Policy
Melissa Ferguson - Senior Vice President and Director of Member Engagement
Julie Eckstein - Vice President and State Policy Director at CHT
Laura Linn, RN, MN - Vice President & Director of Clinical and Community Networks
Wayne Oliver - Vice President
Stacey Lelko - Vice President of Business Development
Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D. - Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives
Amy Nyhuls - Senior Director of Meetings & Special Events
Michelle Stein - Communications Director
Vincent Frakes - Federal Policy Director
Sarah Murphy - Member Services Director
Robb Thomas - Finance Director
Leigh Cox - Implementation Director
Stacey Blomberg - State Initiatives Manager
Christie Zimmerman - Program Manager, Meetings & Special Events
Jennifer Cunningham - Executive Assistant to the CEO
Lee Schalk - Staff Assistant

Legal
Stefan C. Passantino - head of the Political Law practice at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP



    The Newt Team
        (source: www.newt.org, Feb. 24, 2011)

Newt Gingrich


Callista Gingrich

President of Gingrich Productions, a performance and production company focusing on audio, video, and photographic production.

Fred Asbell

Education Reform Project Director for American Solutions.

Tim Cameron

Director of Digital Operations for American Solutions.

Brady Cassis

Research Assistant for the Speaker at the American Enterprise Institute.

Jackie Gingrich Cushman

A celebrated speaker and nationally syndicated columnist. JackieCushman.com

Joseph DeSantis

Communications Director for Gingrich Communications, where he oversees all of Speaker Gingrich's online, television, radio and printed word outreach efforts.

Nancy Desmond

CEO of the Center for Health Transformation and of the Gingrich Group, a consulting firm focused on transformation and chaired by former Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Julie Eckstein

Vice President and State Policy Director at CHT, and former Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Randy Evans

Chairman of the board of the Newt Gingrich Companies.  He also handles high profile, complex litigation matters throughout the United States for some of the largest companies in the world.

Steve Everley

Manager of Policy Research for American Solutions.

Melissa Ferguson

Senior Vice President and Director of Member Engagement at CHT.

Vincent Frakes

Federal Policy Director at CHT.

Sylvia F. Garcia

Hispanic Outreach Director for Speaker Newt Gingrich and his organization, manages the newt.org/ParaLatinos site, and editor-in-chief of The Americano.

Vince Haley

Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Communications for American Solutions.

Christine Hall

Program Manager for American Solutions.

R.C. Hammond

Press Secretary for American Solutions.

Lindsey Harvey

Associate Director of Development for American Solutions, focusing on fundraising and donor development.

Jorge Hurtado

Community Liaison for Gingrich Communications, where he oversees social media initiatives in support of The Americano.com.

Dan Kotman

Director of Online Communications for American Solutions.

Laura Linn, RN, MN

Vice President & Director of Clinical and Community Networks for CHT

Kathy G. Lubbers

President and CEO of Gingrich Communications where she leads a team responsible for bringing Newt's message to the American people.

David Merritt

Executive Vice President of Communications and Policy at CHT.

Wayne Oliver

Vice President at the Center for Health Transformation, Wayne leads CHT's Health Justice and Right to Know projects as well as e-prescribing efforts.

Stefan Passantino

One of the leading political law attorneys in the nation, representing political figures, corporations and other political entities with respect to state and federal election law, campaign finance, lobbying law and ethics issues.

Michelle Selesky

Communications Coordinator at Gingrich Communications where she orchestrates radio and media opportunities for the Speaker and his co-authors.

Michelle Stein

Communications Director at CHT.

Rick Tyler

Spokesperson for Newt Gingrich and is also the Founding Director of Renewing American Leadership (ReAL).

Dan Varroney

Chief Operating Officer at American Solutions.

Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.

Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Health Transformation and leads the 21st Century FDA Modernization Project.

Adam Waldeck

Director of e-Communications and e-Campaigns for American Solutions.