Romney Readiness Project (R2P, Inc.)
Switzer Building at 330 C Street, S.W. in Washington, DC
Transition  |  Romney for President, Inc.

(page revised June 18,  2013)

The 2012 Romney transition (Romney Readiness Project or R2P, Inc.) was the first transition supported by federal funds from the time of the nominating conventions, as provided by the Pre-Election Transition Act of 2010.  Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt started Romney's transition efforts beginning with preliminary planning in May 2012.  Early work was done from an office at 300 New Jersey Ave. in Washington, DC.  From the beginning of September, R2P, Inc. worked out of a 120,000 square foot space allocated by the General Services Administration in the Switzer Building at 330 C Street, S.W. in Washington, DC.  Under Leavitt's leadership, the R2P, Inc. organization grew to 495 people, 55 on payroll and most, about 85-percent, volunteers.  On a side note, the group did seem a bit lacking in diversity.  The transition effort was designed to proceed through four phases (readiness, planning, transition and handoff), but due to the outcome of the election only the first two were executed.  An Executive Council consisting of group leaders met every Friday.  There were lists of specific deliverables.  In addition to working on the nuts and bolts of the new administration from personnel to executive orders, R2P, Inc. aimed more broadly "to prepare a transition which delivered a continual steam of rapid changes during the first 200 days of the administration."  R2P, Inc. kept in close communication with the campaign, holding weekly coordinating meetings with a group of top aides consisting of Bob White, Beth Myers, Spencer Zwick, Ben Ginsberg and Peter Flaherty.  ROMNEY READINESS PROJECT 2012: Retrospective & Lessons Learned provides an invaluable review of the Romney transition; as Leavitt states in the forward to the book, "We were ready. We built a fine ship. Unfortunately, it did not sail." 


 
Chairman  Mike Leavitt

(advisor to Romney starting in 2010, half time on the campaign from Nov. 2011, started planning transition in May 2012, reported by Politico on June 3, 2012)  Founder and chairman of Leavitt Partners where he advises clients in the health care and food safety sectors.  Secretary of HHS, 2005-09.  Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, 2003-05.  Elected three times as governor of Utah, in 1992, '96 and 2000; served 11 years, 1993-2003 (including when Romney was head of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City).  Chief executive of The Leavitt Group, family run insurance brokerage, 1984-92.  Degree in economics from Southern Utah University, 1974.  Grew up in Cedar City, Utah.

Jordana Choucair

Leavitt's executive assistant (director of special projects and planning) at Leavitt Partners.  Staff assistant for the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Lead program analyst for Division B Medicaid Provisions, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and Administration on Aging Nutrition Programs.  Analyst in the Office of Budget at HHS.  Master’s in public health from the University of Arizona: bachelor’s degree in community health from Brigham Young University.


Executive Director  Chris Liddell

Vice chairman and CFO of General Motors, Jan. 2010-April 1, 2011.  Senior vice president and CFO of Microsoft, May 2005-Dec. 2009.  Senior vice president and CFO and earlier vice president of finance at International Paper Co., 2003-05.  CEO (1999-2002) and CFO (1995-98) of Carter Holt Harvey, a New Zealand forest products company.  Investment banker; worked at Credit Suisse in Boston for ten years.  Masters in Philosophy from Oxford; Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Auckland.  New Zealand native.

Daniel Kroese, David Porter, Sarah B. Heck



Director of Department and Agency Review  Jim Quigley

Just retired as senior partner and former CEO at Deloitte LLP; 37 years with the organization starting as an accountant in the Salt Lake City office.  Co-author of As One: Individual Action, Collective Power (2011).  B.S. in accounting from Utah State University, 1974.

Economic Policy Review Group  Al Hubbard and Glenn Hubbard
National Security Review Group  Bob Zoellick
Domestic Policy Review Group  Tevi Troy
Budget Review Group  John Cogan and Tim Muris



Director of Personnel  Jamie Burke

Principal at Burke Consulting, LLC from Feb. 2010.  Investor and founder of FreezeAwayFat LLC, 2010-11.  White House liaison and director of outreach at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005-09.  Director of Congressional and Public Affairs-CDFI at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, first part of 2004.  White House liaison at the U.S. Department of Education, 2001-03.  Director of external affairs at the RNC, 1993-2000.  Communications at Empower America/Jack Kemp, 1992-93.

Central Leadership Team
"smart deployable people"..."a group of individuals who were financially supportive of the Campaign and were eager to become involved in the Readiness Project."



Director of Project Management  Clark Campbell

Founder (2008) of OPPM International and author of the best-selling series The One-Page Project ManagerTM.  Senior vice president and chief project officer at the O.C. Tanner Company, 1979-2009.  Planning analyst, project specialist at DuPont, 1975-79.  Ph.D. in business administration, project management from Almeda University; M.B.A. (1975) and B.S. in chemical engineering (1974) from University of Utah.

Deputy Director  Logan Keller

Spanish instructor for Management & Training Corporation.  Service volunteer for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2009-11.  Sales associate at New Balance Salt Lake, 2006-08.  B.S. degree from Brigham Young University.

Director of President-elect Support  Steve Preston

CEO of Oakleaf Global Holdings, 2009-11, then executive vice president at Waste Management, 2011-12.  Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2008-09.  Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, 2006-08.  Executive vice president at The ServiceMaster Company, 1997-2006.  Senior vice president and treasurer at First Data Corporation, 1993-96.  Senior vice president, investment  banking at Lehman Brothers, 1985-93.  M.B.A. in finance from University of Chicago, 1985; B.A. in international politics from Northwestern University, 1982.  

Deputy Director/Central Team Leader/Transition Staffing  David Eagles

A vice president at Oakleaf Global Holdings, 2009-11, then a vice president at Waste Management from Oct. 2011.  Director of the Office of Financial Stability (TARP) at Treasury, April-Aug. 2009.  Advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2008-09.  Director of performance at the U.S. Small Business Administration, 2007-08.  Senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, 2004-06.  M.P.P. in business and government policy from Harvard University, 2004; B.S. in corporate finance/economics from University of Alabama, 2002.

Public Liaison Leader  Daniel Turner
Communications Leader  Mark DeMoss
Transition White House Design  David Fischer

PE/Cabinet Prep Leader  Bob Kimmitt
At WilmerHale since 2009.  Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury, 2005-09.   Executive Vice President for Global Public Policy at Time Warner, Inc., 2001-05.  Partner at WilmerHale, 1997-2000.  American Ambassador to Germany, 1991-93.  Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, 1989-91.  General Counsel to the Department of the Treasury, 1985-87.  Executive Secretary and General Counsel of the National Security Council at the White House, 1983-85.  J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, 1977; B.S. from U.S. Military Academy, 1969.

PE Scheduling Leader  Megan Badasch
(Sept. 2012)  Events manager for the 2012 Republican National Convention, March-Sept. 2012.  Resident program officer in Tunisia (Sept. 2011-March 2012) and resident program officer in Jordan (May 2009-Sept. 2011) for the International Republican Institute.  National director of surrogate operations at the RNC, July 2008-Feb. 2009.  Director of Business Development at Cardinal Communication Strategies, LLC, 2007.  Associate director of political operations at the RNC, 2006.  Special assistant to the director of the National Park Service, Feb.-Dec. 2005.  Regional field representative in California on Bush-Cheney '04.  Staff assistant on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 2003-04.  Regional director on Jim Ryan for Governor, Sept.-Nov. 2002.  Policy advisor in the Office of Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood (IL), 2000-02.  B.A. in political science from Illinois College, 1999.

VPE Liaison  Joel Kaplan
FLE Lead  Anita McBride


Director of Policy and Strategy Council  Tim Adams

Managing director of the Lindsey Group, a DC-based economic advisory firm.  Under Secretary for International Affairs at the Department of the Treasury, Aug. 2005-Feb. 2007.  Policy director on George W. Bush's 1994 re-election campaign.  Chief of staff to the Treasury Secretary, Jan. 2001-Dec. 2003.  A senior member of the Bush-Cheney 2000 policy staff in Austin, TX, Adams worked on macroeconomic and technology related issues, coordinated the policy operations for the 2000 Republican Platform and National Convention, and directed the policy operations for Vice Presidential candidate Cheney; later he headed up the Treasury transition team for the new administration.  Co-founded and later led as the Managing Director, the G7 Group, a Washington-based consulting firm, early 1993-March 2000.  Served in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush from 1989-93, including in the White House Office of Policy Development from late-1990 to Jan. 1993.  B.S. in finance and M.P.A. and M.A. in international relations from the University of Kentucky.  Native of Kentucky. 

Deputy Director  Laura Dove

Most recently served as clerk of the platform committee at the Republican National Committee.  Assistant secretary for Senate Republican leaders Frist and McConnell, 2003-12.  Director of integrated media at the NRSC, 2001-03.  Deputy executive director at Citizens for Better Medicare, 1999-2001.  Deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Senate Republican Conference, 1997-99.  Web editor atn PoliticsNow, 1995-97.  Republican cloakroom assistant in the U.S. Senate.  M.A. in English from University of Virginia, 1995; B.A. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1992. 

Deputy Director  Jeff Kupfer

Served at the U.S. Energy Department from 2006-09, including as Acting Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer.   Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.  Deputy chief of staff at the Treasury Department during President George W. Bush's first term.  A counsel for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.  A trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.  Law degree from Harvard Law School; bachelor's degree from Yale University.  Pittsburgh native.

Deficit Reduction Task Force  John Cogan and Tim Muris
Repeal ACA Task Force  Al Hubbard
Restore American Leadership Task Force  Brian Hook
Revitalize the American Economy Task Force  Glenn Hubbard


Director of Legislative Affairs  Drew Maloney

CEO of Ogilvy Government Relations, March 2002-Aug. 2012.  Administrative assistant and legislative director to Rep. Tom DeLay, 1999-2002.  Legislative director and legislative assistant to Rep. Roger Wicker, 1997-98.  Congressional liaison at Robertson, Monagle and Eastaugh, 1995-97.  J.D. from The Catholic University of America, 1996; B.A. in political science from Randolph-Macon College, 1991.


Director of Presidential Appointments  Bill Hagerty

On leave Sept. 17-Nov. 6 from position as Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development; started in Jan. 2011.  On leave from Hagerty Peterson, LLC, a merchant bank and private equity firm he founded.  Affiliated with Trident Capital, L.P., a private equity investment firm.  A national finance chairman (volunteer) on the Romney for President campaign in 2007-08.  CEO of Lehman Brother's Asian Asset Management platform, ALAM.  Served on the White House Domestic Policy staff as chief economist of the President's Council on Competitiveness.  Worked for the Boston Consulting Group for seven years and spent three years based in Tokyo, Japan.  Law degree and undergraduate degree in economics from Vanderbilt University.

Deputy Director  Brad Smith

National Security Leaders  Kent Lucken and Mike Daniels; Deputies  Michele Pearce and Bridge Colby
Domestic Policy Leader  Kerry Healey; Deputy  Robert Porter
Economic Policy Leader  Jim Donovan; Deputy  Kristen Silverberg
WH Staff/OMB Leader  Suzy DeFrancis
Shared Services Leader  Katja Bullock


Director of Operations  Doug Wooden

Senior managing director and chief administrative officer of Putnam Investments.  Vice president of financial services division and senior vice president and CFO of U.S. operations at Great-West Life.  A founding member of Bain & Company's Customer Loyalty Practice.  Co-founder of Bright Horizons Family Solutions.  M.B.A. from Harvard Business School; B.S. from Cornell University.


Legal Directors  Ben Ginsberg (early on) and Matt Cooper

Ginsberg, Leavitt and Liddell were the three directors of R2P, Inc.  Cooper started Aug. 1, 2012.  He had worked for Romney for President's Katie Biber as a volunteer state counsel in the 2008 and 2012 primary campaigns.


See:
Christopher Liddell, Daniel Kroese and Clark Campbell.  ROMNEY READINESS PROJECT 2012: Retrospective & Lessons Learned.  R2P, Inc., May 1, 2013.
Ashley Parker.  "Campaigning Aside, Team Plans a Romney Presidency."  New York Times, Aug. 16, 2012.
Katy Steinmetz.  "The Cost of Romney's Government-Assisted Transition: $8.9 Million."  Time, Dec. 19, 2012.