Obama 2012
General Election Campaign Organization, Florida
Obama for America/Organizing for America
FLORIDA | Obama Main Page
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State Director Ashley Walker
Florida director of Organizing for America from
2009. Deputy
state
director for Obama for America in the 2008 general election; Florida
staffer
for Obama for America in the primary, and earlier deputy to political
director Matt Nugen in
Chicago. Walker managed Jeremy Ring (D-Margate)'s successful 2006
campaign for State Senate.
Staffer to Sen. Bob Graham in his Tallahassee and Miami Lakes offices,
2002-03, then worked on Graham's
presidential campaign. M.S. in international affairs from Florida
State University; B.A. in sociology from Indiana University.
Indiana native.
Senior Advisors
Marcus Jadotte
Managing director for public affairs at NASCAR;
joined NASCAR in March 2005 as senior manager for national media
outreach. Starting in July 2004 Jadotte was deputy campaign
manager for VP operations on the Kerry-Edwards campaign after serving
as John Kerry's deputy
campaign
manager for over a year, announced May 28, 2003. Chief of staff
in the office of Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-FL). Gore-Lieberman
campaign's Florida state director in 2000.
During the Clinton administration he worked in the Department of Labor
in the Office of the Deputy Secretary and in Congressional and
Intergovernmental
Affairs. In 1998 he served as political director on the
MacKay-Dantzler
campaign for governor of Florida. In 1996 he was a regional
director
on the Clinton-Gore re-election campaign in Florida. Jadotte was
special assistant to the late Gov. Lawton Chiles, and communications
director
for the Florida AFL-CIO. He has worked in the Florida House of
Representatives
and in the Agency for Health Care Administration. B.S.
degree
in economics from Florida State University. From Opa-locka,
Florida.
Jackie Lee
Founding partner of Sunstream Strategies. Managed the FairDistrictsFlorida campaign in 2010. General election director on Obama's Campaign for Change, announced July 9, 2008. Iowa field director for the John Edwards for President campaign, 2007-08. Statewide field director for the Florida Democratic Party in 2006 and for former Sen. John Edwards’ campaign during the 2004 presidential primary. Lee served as the Delaware state director for the Emergency Campaign for America’s Priorities and for Americans United to Protect Social Security. Field director for the Oklahoma Democratic Coordinated Campaign. North Central Iowa regional field director for the Edwards for President campaign in 2003-04, and then the campaign's field director in Virginia and Florida. Worked for the Louisiana Democratic Party during Sen. Mary Landrieu's 2002 run-off campaign. Managed a field office for the South Dakota Democratic Party during Sen. Tim Johnson's 2002 re-election campaign. B.A. in international relations from University of Delaware.
Steve Schale
President at Schale Strategies since Jan. 2009. State director on Obama's 2008 campaign (from Florida Democrats' House Victory political director since 2005 (appointed by Democratic Leader Dan Gelber). Communications director/press secretary for the Florida Democrats in the State House (House Democratic Leader Doug Wiles). Legislative assistant in the Florida House. B.A. in history and political science from Sewanee-The University of the South, 1996, and M.A. in communications from Florida State University, 2009. From St. Augustine. twitter
General Election Director Nick Buis
(Feb. 2012) Indiana state director for
Organizing for
America 2009-11. Regional field director on Obama for America
2007-08. Degree in political science from West Virginia
University,
2007. twitter
Communications
Press Secretary Eric Jotkoff
Communications director at the Florida Democratic
Party from July
2008-Aug. 2011. An advance staffer on Clinton for
President. Communications director and legislative assistant to
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney (FL-16). In 2006 worked on Mahoney's
campaign as
press secretary and research director, and earlier on Sen. Rod Smith's
2006 gubernatorial campaign. Worked on John Kerry's 2004
presidential campaign. twitter
Director of Regional Press Stephanie L.
Young
(July 2012) Communications director for the
Congressional Black
Caucus, Dec. 2010-July 2012. Press secretary on Cohen for
Congress, May-Nov. 2010. Deputy press secretary and African
American press advisor at the DCCC, Jan. 2009-May 2010.
Communications associate at Rock the Vote, April 2008-Jan. 2009.
Editorial assistant at The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Nov. 2006-April
2008. B.A. in broadcast journalism from Hampton University, 2006.
Deputy Press Secretary-North Florida Eric Conrad
(June 2012) Senior partner at WWD
Strategies, Inc. in Gainesville from Aug. 2011. Communications
director at Kevin Cate Communications, Inc., Dec. 2011-May 2012.
Communications coordinator at United Way of North Central Florida,
mid-2011. Worked on a state senate and mayoral campaign.
B.A. in political science from University of Florida, 2010.
Deputy Press Secretary Ricardo A.
Ramírez
(April 2012) Previously a regional press
secretary and national
press secretary for Hispanic media at the DNC from May 2009.
Deputy press secretary for Hispanic media to Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid, 2007-08. M.A. in French and Francophone literature
from Texas Tech University, 2006.
Deputy Press Secretary-South Florida
Jacqueline Ortiz
Ramsey
(July 2012-Fort Myers, Naples, Immokalee, Miami-Dade
County and the Florida Keys) Political appointee in the U.S.
Department of
Justice, July 2010-Aug. 2011; communication specialist at the U.S.
Department of Defense, Oct. 2009-July 2010. Public
relations and marketing assistant at Links Media LLC. A regional
press assistant in Florida on Obama's 2008 campaign. M.S. in mass
media communications from Florida State University.
Deputy Press Secretary-South Florida Shira
Kramer
(April 2012) South Carolina press secretary for the Obama campaign, Oct. 2011-March 2012. Deputy press secretary (2010-11) and press assistant (2009-10) at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Press assistant on Obama's campaign in Fall 2008. Copy editor at Gainesville Today, 2007-08. Master's degree in business management from University of Florida's Warrington College of Business, 2008; Bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Florida, 2007.
Deputy Press
Secretary
Lacey Rose
(started as a press assistant in Dec. 2011; promoted in June/July
2012) Press assistant at the U.S. Treasury, June 2010-Dec.
2011. twitter
Surrogate Booking
Coordinator/Press Assistant/Spanish Language
Sabrina Caprioli
(May 2011) Press assistant at Organizing for America-Arizona,
July 2010-April 2011. B.A. in political science from CUNY Hunter
College, 2010. twitter
Digital
Digital Director Carey Jeremiason
(Aug. 2011) Prior to joining the campaign
Jeremiason
worked for
three months as
Minnesota online campaign director for SEIU. New media director
on Sen. Michael Bennet's campaign in Colorado, 2009-10. Marketing
specialist at Barr Engineering, 2005-06. J.D. from
University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 2009; B.A. in history from
University of Saint Thomas, 2005. Originally from
Minnesota.
twitter
Deputy Digital Director Abigail Collazo
(Sept. 2012) Editor and blogger at Fem2.0;
social media project
manager at Turner Strategies, 2011-12. Press secretary at Lee
Fisher for Ohio, Fall 2010. Communications director/secretary for
the Womens Congressional Staff Association, Jan.-Sept. 2010.
Legislative correspondent (2009-10) and assistant scheduler (2008-09)
in the Office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar. M.A. in global security from
Johns Hopkins' Zanvyl Krieger School;B.A. in political science,
religion from Mount Holyoke College.
Digital Content Director Zara Rahim
(July 2012; started as a digital intern in Jan.
2012) Student
working towards a bachelor's degree in international relations from the
University of South Florida.
Field
Field Director John Gilbert
A trainer with Wellstone Action! Consultant on
the 2009 municipal
elections in Las Vegas. Deputy field director in Nevada during
the general election for Barack Obama's Campaign for Change; during the
primaries Gilbert was a field organizer and regional field director in
half a dozen states starting in Nevada. A field organizer on the
2006 Jack Carter campaign in Nevada. Las Vegas native. twitter
Deputy Field
Directors
Lead Amy Keegan
Colorado field director for Organizing for
America/DNC, July 2010-Nov.
2011. In Fall 2008 Keegan served as a field organizer in the
Broomfield, CO office of Obama's Campaign for Change. B.A. in
environmental policy from University of Colorado at Boulder, 2007.
North Florida Mike D'Armi
Delaware state director of Organizing for America/DNC. In Fall 2008 D'Armi took leave from studies in philosophy at University of Delaware to serve as a field organizer on Obama's campaign in Miami-Dade. Delaware native. twitter
Central Florida
Saumya
Narechania
(June 2011) Worked at the White House from May
2009-June
2011.
Field organizer on Obama's 2008 campaign in Nevada. B.A. in
international politics from The George Washington University,
2008. twitter
West Central Florida (Tampa) Adam Hoyer
(April 2012) Deputy director in the Office of
the Executive
Secretariat at the U.S. Department of Commerce (May 2011-April 2012),
briefing book guy (Jan. 2010-May 2011) and special assistant (May
2009-Jan. 2010) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Started on
Obama's campaign in May 2007 as a field organizer in Davenport, Iowa;
continued on to NV, MN, TX, NC and FL and in the general election was a
regional field director in Pennsylvania.
South Florida Kate Catherall
(Sept. 2011) National rapid response director at
Americans United for
Change, mid-2011. Field director on Bill Foster for Congress.
May-Nov. 2010. Field organizer on the Virginia Democratic
Coordinated Campaign, latter part of 2009. Volunteer coordinator
in Obama's Colorado Campaign for Change in Fall 2008, after starting
out as an Organizing Fellow. B.A. in political science, theater
and drama from Indiana University, 2009. Originally from
Chicago. twitter
Miami Juan Cuba
(May 2012) Special assistant at HUD, Aug.
2010-Nov. 2011. Staff assistant at the White House, March
2009-Aug. 2010. Field staff on Obama's 2007-08 campaign.
B.S. in political science and government from Florida International
University, 2007.
Florida Training Director/Deputy Field Director Ashley Pinedo
(started as a DFD in May 2011; training director from Jan. 2012) Served as an Obama Organizing Fellow in summer 2008. B.A. in film and video production from Pacific University, 2007. twitter
Deputy Field Director-Voter Registration Jesse Boateng
Prior to joining the campaign Boateng worked in product and business development for several start-up companies in San Francisco and Canberra, Australia. Philanthropic advisor specializing in civil society and voter registration at the donor advisory firms Wellspring Advisors and Newman & Associates. M.A. in professional and applied ethics at Australian National University; B.A. in economics from Yale University. Pennsylvania native.
Border State Director Melanie Vant
(July 2012; initially Midwest field director on the
campaign from July 2011) Project coordinator (Jan. 2008-Aug.
2009) and project associate (Jan. 2005-Dec. 2007) at RESULTS
Educational Fund. M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School of
Government,
2011. B.A. in political science from The George Washington
University, 2004.
Data
Data Director Leslie Green
x
Deputy Data Directors
Field Lead Will Zigler
B.A. in political science and government from Western
Michigan
University, 2007.
West Central Florida Sara Vredevoog
(Aug. 2012) Adjunct instructor in mathematics and computer science at Lansing Community College, Jan. 2011-Aug. 2012. M.S. in mathematics from Michigan State University, 2010; B.A. in philosophy, politics from Xavier University, 2007.
Leo Chiang
(July 2012) Finance analyst intern in the
deluxe resort segment
(Jan.-June 2012) and food and beverage host (June 2011-Jan. 2012) at
Walt Disney World. B.S./B.A. in finance, marketing from Boston
University's School of Management, 2011.
John Holden
x
? Maxwell Wood
(Sept. 2012; initially a regional field director from April-Aug. 2012) A field organizer on Obama's 2008 campaign. M.S. in planning from Florida State University, 2012; B.A. in political science from University of North Florida, 2010.
Senior Advisor Analytics/Polling Scott
Safranek
(Aug. 2012; started on the campaign in Aug. 2011 as a
senior battleground states
election analyst in Chicago) Senior battleground
states election analyst at the DNC in the 2010 cycle. In the Fall
2008 Safranek served at Virginia data director, after working on
Obama's
campaign in the primaries and volunteering for a grassroots Obama group
starting in early 2007. Attended
Columbia
for three years, then left to play poker professionally.
former
Data Director Dan Finer (to March 2012)
Deputy Data Director Nekpen Osuan (Jan.-Sept. 2012)
Political
Political Director Reggie Cardozo
(Oct. 2011) Director of government relations at
Governance, Inc.,
2005-Oct. 2011. Deputy campaign manager on Scott Maddox for
Commissioner of Agriculture, 2009-10. Political coordinator and
earlier assistant political
coordinator at the Democratic Party of Florida, 2003-05. Grew up
in Broward County. Originally from Puerto Rico. twitter
Deputy Political Directors
Karen Andre
(Sept. 2011) Owner of Law Offices of Karen Andre
since Aug.
2007. Political director at SEIU, Florida 2006-07.
Community outreach director for Congressman Peter Deutsch,
2003-05. Legislative assistant in the Florida Senate,
2002-03. J.D. from Miami University School of Law; B.A. in
psychology from Florida International University. twitter
Central Florida Josh Romero
(Nov. 2011) A regional field director from
April-Nov. 2011.
Finance on Gillibrand for Senate, Dec. 2010-April 2011. Organizer
for the Democratic Party of Florida, Aug.-Nov. 2010; organizer on
Kendrick Meek for Florida, March-Aug. 2010. Deputy sheriff and
detective with Osceola County Sheriff's Office, 2004-09.
Non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1997-2005.
North Florida Gabe Landry
M.A. in political science from Appalachian State
University, 2010; B.A.
in political science from the University of North Florida, 2006.
Tampa/St. Petersburg Marcus Garza
(Aug. 2012) Legislative aide at City of Tampa,
April 2011-Aug.
2012. Field organizer for the Democratic Party of Florida,
Aug.-Nov. 2010. Degree in political science and international
affairs from Florida State University, 2010.
Palm Beach Abby Ross
Legislative assistant to Rep. Lori Berman. Grew
up in Palm Beach
County.
Operation Vote
Operation Vote Director Nicole Price
(June 2012) Moved over from Southern regional
political
director at the DNC; started there in July 2011. Special
assistant at the U.S.
Department of Labor from Nov. 2009. Worked on Obama's 2008
campaign; in the Fall Price was deputy field director in the Philly
suburbs; in the primaries she served as political director on Obama's
campaign in Pennsylvania, political director on
Obama's
Maryland campaign, and before that worked for six months in field on
the
South Carolina campaign. Worked on several Maryland
campaigns. Master's
in
negotiation
and
conflict
management
from
University
of
Baltimore.
Baltimore
native.
Women for Obama Director Stephanie Kunkel
(April 2012) Legislative and electoral consultant. Executive director (2009-11) and earlier legislative and field director (2007-09) at the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. Legislative aide in the Florida House of Representatives, 2006-07. twitter
Latino Vote Director Raul Martinez
(April 2012) Martinez Consulting Group in Coral
Gables.
GOTV
GOTV Director Dan Hardcastle
(Aug. 2012) Southern political director at The
Atlas Project, Aug. 2011-Feb. 2012. Field director at the
Kentucky Democratic Party, July-Nov. 2010. Field director on Jon
Bowerbank for Lt. Gov. (VA), March-May 2009. Field/GOTV for
Florida Democratic Party, June-Nov. 2008. Lead organizer on John
Edwards for President in Cedar Rapids, IA, Seneca, SC, and Atlanta, GA,
March 2007-Jan. 2008. Regional organizer on Jim Davis for
Governor, Fall 2006. Political phone program supervisor at
American Directions Group in Gainesville, FL, 2005-06. Field
organizer for the Oklahoma Democratic Party, June-Nov. 2004. B.A.
in political science from University of Florida, 2011.
Deputy GOTV Director Marshall High
Experience includes field director on the Karl Dean
for Mayor campaign (Nashville, Aug. 2011); was a field organizer on
Obama's Campaign for Change in 2008.
Deputy GOTV Director Lucy Evans
(Sept. 2012) Freelance writer. Regional
field director at Kentucky Democratic Party/Jack Conway for U.S.
Senate, June-Nov. 2010. Field organizer and volunteer coordinator
on the Wisconsin Democratic Coordinated Campaign, July-Nov.
2008. Assistant to the executive director at Project Safe,
Inc., 2007-08. Special projects assistant at the Housing
Assistance Council in Washington, DC, 2004-06. B.A. in journalism
from University of Kentucky, 2003.
Voter Protection
Voter Protection Director Hannah Fried
Previously deputy voter protection director at the DNC.
Deputy Voter Protection Director Zach
Learner
Florida Senate staffer. Attorney.
SCHEDULING
Director of Scheduling Laurence Wildgoose
(June 2012) Scheduler to Sen. Bill Nelson, July
2008-June 2012. Chairman
and co-founder of The Syndicate Forum and the American Metapolitics
Group. Pursuing an M.B.A.. Bachelor’s degree in English and
communication from Florida State University, 2007. twitter
Scheduling Team Paola B. Luisi
(Sept. 2012) Executive assistant at the DNC, 2008-10. M.A. in American foreign policy and international economics from John Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze SAIS, 2012; B.A. in economics from University of Maryland College Park, 2007.
Operations
Operations Director Brandon Philipczyk
(April 2012; initially operations director at OFA-MN,
Dec. 2011-April
2012) Comptroller on Mark Dayton for a Better Minnesota, Fall
2010. Operations director on Minnesotans for Matt [Entenza for
Governor], Oct.
2009-Sept. 2010. Deputy campaign manager on Tinklenberg for
Congress, Nov. 2009-March 2010. B.S. in political science from
North Dakota State University, 2003.
Deputy Operations Director Farooq
Salahuddin
(Feb. 2012) Came to the campaign from Zurich
Financial
Services/Zurich North America where he worked in various positions
including operations analyst, team lead and premium coder.
Bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University 2011.
IT Director Patricia Green
(July 2012) IT business analyst/help desk analyst at Lux Enterprises, LLC, Oct. 2010-June 2012. M.A. in conflict studies and dispute resolution (2009) and B.S. in international business, marketing, French (2006) from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
"nearly 800 full-time staff and a $50 million budget."
Florida Democratic Party
+
Chairman Rod Smith
(elected Jan. 8, 2011) Partner at the Gainesville firm of Avera and Smith. Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2010. Candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2006. Elected to the State Senate in 2000. Elected State Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit in 1992 and served to 2000. Worked for nearly 20 years as a labor lawyer. J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law, 1975; B.A. from University of Tulsa. Raised on a family farm in South Florida.
Executive Director Scott Arceneaux
(announced July 20, 2009) President of Arceneaux
Consulting since
Jan. 2008. Worked on Creigh Deeds' successful
primary campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in
Virginia, June 2009. National political director on Sen. Chris
Dodd's presidential campaign, 2007-Jan. 2008. In the 2006 cycle
Arceneaux served as campaign manager on Doug Duncan's bid for Maryland
Governor (starting in May 2005 through June 2006), then took similar
roles for Peter Franchot's campaign for Maryland Comptroller and Judy
Feder's run for Congress in Virginia's 10th District (starting in Aug.
2006). Ran Rep. Chris John's U.S. Senate bid in Louisiana in
2004. Executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party,
2001-04, where he directed efforts for Mary Landrieu's 2002 Senate
re-election and Kathleen Blanco's 2003 gubernatorial
campaign. Litigation associate at Stone, Pigman, Walther,
Wittman and Hutchinson law firm, 1997-2001. Law degree from
Tulane Law School, 1995; bachelor's degree in history from Washington
and Lee
University, 1992.