FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 25, 2011

 
CHICAGO – Obama for America announced today the launch of “Greater Together,” a campaign initiative designed to engage young Americans between the ages of 18 and 29. 
 
Greater Together is an arm of Operation Vote, whose mission is to expand the electorate and to maximize participation from crucial constituencies – including young Americans. 
 
President Obama kicked off the launch with a sharable video asking young people to get involved once again in the political process and to help him finish what they all started together.  The campaign also launched its website for young people www.barackobama.com/young-americans. 
 
Young Americans shattered records in 2008 with the highest youth voter turn-out in American history.   Greater Together will build on this by working across campaign departments – from digital outreach, to grassroots organizing and voter registration efforts — to target new voters and return voters, including high school, college and non-college youth and young professionals. 
 
“Young Americans made a game-changing impact in 2008 and their participation in 2012 will be a defining issue in this campaign.  Young Americans know that we can’t cut our way to prosperity and that the best way to restore economic security for the middle class and to keep America competitive is to build an economy that is built to last where we out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, ” said campaign manager Jim Messina. 
 
Leading this effort will be National Youth Vote Director, Valeisha Butterfield-Jones, and National Youth Vote Deputy Director, Eric Zoberman (bios below).
 
Valeisha Butterfield-Jones has developed and led award-winning programs targeting American youth for national non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companies for more than a decade.  She is the Founder of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network and served as the Executive Director of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, a national non-profit organization focused on voter education, registration and GOTV programs for young adults 18 - 35 years of age.  From 2009-011 she served in Department of Commerce as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the International Trade Administration.  Butterfield-Jones is a North Carolina native and graduate of Clark Atlanta University.  Follow her on Twitter at @valeisha.
 
A Chicago native and veteran of the 2008 campaign, Eric Zoberman, joined then Senator Obama's Iowa Caucus team in June 2007, shortly after graduating from the University of Maryland.  He traveled the country working in Field and Press during the Primary and was the Field Director for St. Louis County, Missouri during the General Election.  Following President Obama's inauguration, Eric was tapped to lead United We Serve, the new administration's national service initiative.  During the 2010 election cycle, Eric followed his passion for organizing students in his capacity as Field Director for Rock the Vote, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that fosters civic engagement amongst new voters.  Follow him on Twitter @EZobes.
 
 
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CONTACT:
Obama for America Press Office