PRESS
RELEASE
from
Obama for America
For Immediate
Release:
August 25, 2011
Obama for America
Campaign Announces Political and Constituency Leadership and Launches
Project Vote
CHICAGO – Obama For America is announcing key political and
constituency staff leadership and launching Project Vote, whose mission
is to expand the electorate and to maximize participation from crucial
constituencies. Project Vote will drive our campaign strategy –
from
paid media, to digital outreach, to grassroots organizing and voter
registration efforts — to communicate with and engage key demographic
groups, such as African Americans, Women, Youth, Latinos, LGBT,
Veterans, Asian Americans and others.
Project Vote will
communicate with and engage targeted constituencies by reaching them
where they are, in their communities and neighborhoods, and having
one-on-one grassroots conversations about the issues they care about
most – jobs, health care and education. Project Vote will embark
on a
voter registration effort to maximize voter participation.
Leading this effort
will be the National Project Vote Director, Buffy Wicks and National
Project Vote Deputy Director, Michael Blake (bios below).
In addition to
launching Project Vote, the campaign is excited to announce Yohannes
Abraham as the Deputy National Political Director, working under
Katherine Archuleta, the National Political Director (bios below).
The political team
is responsible for the campaign’s communication and collaboration with
elected officials, party leaders, labor, and community organizations at
the national, state, and local level. This engagement is
aimed at
soliciting feedback, utilizing local expertise, and integrating
stakeholder efforts into the campaign’s operations.
The Political team
will also build on the campaign’s commitment to technology and digital
organizing by finding innovative ways to link stakeholders up with
campaign related information and resources.
And, joining Mitch
Stewart, Director of Battleground States, will be Karine Jean-Pierre
(bio below). Stewart and Jean-Pierre will work closely to
determine a
state strategy that will result in 270 electoral votes. They will
work
closely with several departments including field, political and Project
Vote.
Katherine Archuleta
joined Obama 2012 in July. Most recently she served as the Chief of
Staff to Secretary Hilda L. Solis. Prior to her service at the
Department of Labor, Katherine had accumulated nearly 18 years of
government experience. She was an aide to Denver Mayor Federico
Peña
and then his chief of staff in 1996 and 1997 during his tenure as
Secretary of Transportation. She served as a senior policy adviser in
1997 when Peña was Secretary of Energy. Prior to returning
to
Washington, D.C. to serve as Chief of Staff to Secretary Solis,
Katherine was senior advisor to Mayor John Hickenlooper, starting in
2005. She was the City of Denver’s lead planner for the 2008 Democratic
National Convention. You can follow Archuleta on Twitter: @Archuleta2012
Prior to joining
the re-election campaign, Yohannes Abraham served as the National
Political Director of Organizing for America at the Democratic National
Committee. Before that, he served in the White House Office of
Legislative Affairs as part of the team tasked with liaising with the
U.S. House of Representatives. Abraham first started working for
President Obama in 2007 as part of the President’s Iowa Caucus effort.
He went on to serve in leadership positions in five other primary
contests before becoming the Virginia Field Director during the general
election campaign, helping to turn that state blue for the first time
in 44years. You can follow Abraham on Twitter: @YohannesOFA
Buffy Wicks has a
long history in grassroots mobilization, political organizing and civic
engagement. She served as the Deputy Director of the White House Office
of Public Engagement for President Obama. In this capacity, she served
as the White House liaison for constituencies throughout the
country.
She was one of the first people hired by the Obama for America campaign
in 2007 and served in a variety of roles, including California Field
Director and Missouri State Director. You can follow Wicks on Twitter:
@buffywicks
Michael Blake is
the Deputy Director of Project Vote for the Obama for America
Campaign. Most recently he served as the Deputy Associate
Director in
The White House Office of Public Engagement where he directed outreach
to the African-American and Minority Business communities. Prior
to
that role he was a Deputy Associate Director in The White House Office
of Intergovernmental Affairs where he directed outreach to county
elected officials, state Attorneys General, secretaries of state and
state financial officers. Blake also served on President
Obama’s
first campaign in eight states over 20 months, starting as the Iowa
Deputy Political Director and ending as the Michigan Deputy State
Director/State Political Director. You can follow Blake on
Twitter:
@mrmikeblake
Karine Jean-Pierre
is the National Deputy Battleground States Director, joining Mitch
Stewart who is serving as Battleground States Director. Prior to
joining the re-election campaign, Jean-Pierre served as a Regional
Political Director at the White House Office of Political Affairs.
Prior to her position in the Political Affairs Office, she served as
White House Liaison at the U.S. Department of Labor. She worked as a
part of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, where she was the
Liaison to the African American Community. Jean-Pierre first started
working for President Obama in 2008 as the Southern Regional Political
Director in Chicago headquarters. You can follow Jean-Pierre on
Twitter: @KarineJP2012
Clo Ewing will
serve as the Director of Constituency Press and will be the point
person for all constituency questions and stories. Prior to
joining
the campaign, Ewing was a television producer for Harpo Productions and
CBS News.
Gabriela Domenzain
will serve as the Director of Hispanic Press for Obama For America
where she will be the primary contact for English and Spanish-language
media covering the Hispanic community and vote. Prior to joining
the
campaign Gabriela was the Communications Director for the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus and a founding producer of Univision Network’s
Sunday-morning public-affairs show, Al Punto. You can follow Domenzain
on Twitter: @GabiDomenzain
###
Contact:
Obama
for America Press Office