National Republican Congressional Committee - 2010

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Chairman  Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-32)

(elected NRCC chairman on Nov. 19, 2008) Now serving his seventh term in Congress. First elected in 1996, in TX-5 (Dallas); since 2002, after redistricting, he has represented the 32nd CD. Worked for then-Southwestern Bell Telephone Company for 16 years, retiring as district manager for marketing in Dallas. Graduate of Southwestern University, 1978.

Deputy Chairman  Rep. Greg Walden (OR-2)

Vice Chairs

Recruitment  Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA)

Redistricting  Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (GA)

Communications  Rep. Kay Granger (TX)

Finance  Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX)

Retention  Rep. Mike Rogers (AL)

Coalitions  Rep. Devin Nunes (CA)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Executive Director  Guy Harrison

(from Jan. 2009) Chief of staff to Rep. Pete Sessions, Jan. 1997-Dec. 2008; started working for Sessions as an organizer on his 1994 campaign, a narrow loss. Graduate of Dartmouth College, 1994.

Deputy Executive Director  Johnny DeStefano

A top political aide to House Minority Leader John Boehner. Worked a variety of positions (legislative analyst, committee relations floor coordinator, coalitions coordinator and finally special assistant to the chairman) for the House Republican Conference under Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH), 2001-06.

POLITICAL

Political Director  Brian O. Walsh

Deputy political director at the NRCC in the 2008 cycle. Political director on Tom Kean Jr.'s campaign for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2006. Worked on incumbent retention at the NRCC in the 2006 cycle. Chief of staff to Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (FL) from 2003-05 after managing her campaign in 2002. Worked for Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman (NY) through Aug. 2002 as communications director and earlier as press director and legislative assistant.

Director of Incumbent Retention  Bob Honold

(started at tne NRCC in April 2007; served in this position in the 2008 cycle) Previously director of public affairs at CTIA-The Wireless Association.  Policy director on Tom Kean Jr. for U.S. Senate campaign in New Jersey, 2006.  Legislative assistant to Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC), 2005-06.  Legislative correspondent, then communications director for Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (FL), 2003-05.  Worked with Prudential Securities in Boston managing individual, estate and retirement accounts.  B.A. in political science from the College of the Holy Cross, 2002.

Coalitions Director  Mike Bober

(Feb. 2009) Executive director of the House Conservatives Fund political action committee, April 2006-Jan. 2009. Associate at Hammond & Associates, 2003-06. PAC manager at the Manufactured Housing Institute, 2002-03. B.S. in international politics from Georgetown University, 2000.

Young Guns Liaison  Benjamin Cassidy

Joined the NRCC in 2008. Previously a sales associate at NorthStar Express. Degree in philosophy from Rollins College, 2006.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications Director  Ken Spain

Press secretary at the NRCC in the 2008 cycle, started March 2007. Communications director to Rep. John Shadegg (AZ). In 2004 he was New Mexico communications director for Bush-Cheney ’04, grassroots coordinator on Michael McCaul's congressional primary run-off campaign in Texas' 10th CD, and deputy campaign manager on Mike Conaway's successful March 9, 2004 primary campaign in Texas' new 11th CD. Worked for California State Sen. Bob Margett (R-Glendora) in his district office. Graduate of U.C. Santa Barbara with a degree in American history, 2001.

Deputy Communications Director  Paul Lindsay

(Jan. 2009) Regional communications director for Ohio and Pennsylvania on McCain-Palin 2008. Western regional press secretary at the RNC. Worked for Rep. Charles Boustany (LA-7) from 2005-07, first as a staff assistant, then as press secretary. Graduate of James Madison University with a degree in political science, 2004.

Deputy Press Secretary  Greg Blair

(June 2009) Master's degree in American government from Georgetown, 2008; Bachelor's degree in government from Claremont McKenna, 2007.

Director of Radio and Television  Jon Thompson

Press assistant at the RNC, 2007-09. Degree in political science from UNC Wilmington, 2007.

Regional Press Secretaries

West  Joanna Burgos

Press secretary for the 2008 Republican National Convention. Senior account executive at Racepoint Group. Communications staffer on Romney for President, Inc.. Assistant press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2005-07. Public affairs specialist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2004-05. Worked in Media Affairs at the White House. Graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in public relations, 2004.

Midwest  Tom Erickson

Deputy communications director for Norm Coleman for Senate, 2008. Press assistant for Gov. Tim Pawlenty (MN), 2005-07.

Southeast  Andy Sere

Graduate of the University of Texas.

Northeast  Tory Mazzola

Communications director for Sen. John Ensign (NV), 2007-09. Graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in economics.

Associate Press Secretary  Lisa Boothe

Staff assistant to Rep. Frank Wolf (VA-10), 2007-09. Degree in political science from the University of Tennessee, 2007.

Press Assistant  Genny Carter

Degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University, 2008.

e-CAMPAIGN

eCampaign Director  John Randall

(Jan. 2009) Online communications manager for the NRSC (2007-08). Press secretary for Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-09), 2007. NRCC Director of Radio & TV Booking, 2005-06). Account executive for Edelman, 2002-05. Degree in government from Hamilton College, 2002.

Online Strategist  Rebecca Mark

Director of new media for Rep. Candice Miller (MI), 2008-09. Video content manager for MySpace.com, 2005-07. Degree in English from the University of Michigan, 2004.

New Media Strategist  Joe Sciarrino

Associate Director of Presidential Personnel at the White House, 2007-09. Degree in political science from American University, 2007.

RESEARCH

Research Director/Senior Research Analyst  Jon Black


Deputy Research Director  Todd Johnson

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

IT Director  George Griffin

(2004) IT for SoftMed Systems,1998-99. Director of network services at the RNC, 1995-98.

FINANCE

Finance Director  Elizabeth Wells Verrill

(Jan. 2009) President of EV Strategies, 2007-08. A regional finance director for John McCain 2008, Jan.-June 2007. Deputy finance director at the RGA, 2003-06. Worked in finance at the NRSC from 1997-2003, including director of the Senatorial Trust and director of the Presidential Roundtable. Graduate of Mt. Vernon College.

Deputy Finance Director  Jenny Sheffield Drucker

PAC Director at the NRSC during the 2008 cycle. PAC director at the NRCC in the 2006 cycle. Worked on the 2000 and 2004 Bush/Cheney campaigns, the 2004 Republican National Convention, and the 2001 and 2005 Presidential Inaugural Committees. Staff assistant, then office manager for Rep. Sessions from 2000 to May 2004. Graduate of Texas A&M University, 1999. 

Major Donor Liaison  Shahla Seaborn

Northeast regional finance on Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign, then did consulting. Previously she was a fundraising consultant to Sen. Bill Frist’s VOLPAC.

Director of Field Finance (early fundraising)  Trent Edwards

also held this role in the 2008 cycle.  B.A. in history from University of Virginia, 1999.

Direct Mail Manager  Jesse Roman

Started at the NRCC in donor services in Sept. 2007. Bachelor's degree in industrial organization psychology from from Point Loma Nazarene University, 2007.

Director of Telemarketing  Brandon Gravley

(May 2007) Previously fundraising coordinator at the Free Enterprise Fund, 2006-07.  Graduate of the University of Memphis.

CONSTITUENT SERVICES

Director

MORE

Controller  Ben Ottenhoff

(July 2008) Previously worked for two years as a finance manager at JD Norman Industries, Inc.. Working towards an M.B.A. at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. Undergraduate degree in business from Calvin College. Originally from Palos Heights, IL.

PAC

PAC Director  Sally McAllister

(Jan. 2009) Came to the NRCC from position as PAC director at Constellation Energy. Vice president of political affairs for Epiphany Productions Inc..

Deputy PAC Director  Honey Godwin

(July 2009) Previously political affairs coordinator for Edison Electric Institute from July 2007. B.A. in political science and communications from Vanderbilt University, 2007.

Independent Expenditures

IE, operating separately and independently from the NRCC, spent $44 million largely on advertising, running 226 ads in total.  See: Brad Todd and Mike Shields.  "How the NRCC Won in 2010." Politico.  Nov. 30, 2010.

Director  Mike Shields

(announced in Jan. 2009 as director of special projects; took on this role in March 2010) Previously chief of staff to Rep. Dave Reichert (WA); worked for Reichert for four years starting in Jan. 2005 as clerk.  Research director at the NRCC in the 2004 cycle.  Press secretary to Rep. George Gekas (PA), mid-2002-Jan. 2003.  Managed Tim James' unsuccessful 2002 primary race for governor of Alabama.  Spokesman for Newt Gingrich for five years; started as communications director for Friends of Newt Gingrich in July 1996.  Started out his career clipping newspapers at the RNC during the Haley Barbour era.  Studied at George Mason University.

Lead Consultant  Brad Todd

Founding partner at OnMessage Inc..  Previously a partner at Todd & Castellanos Creative Group, a sister firm of National Media Inc. active in the 2000 and 2004 campaigns.  Executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party.  Worked in the political department at the RNC during Haley Barbour's tenure.  Master's degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism; bachelor's degree from Rhodes College.  East Tennessee native.