Obama 2012
General Election Campaign Organization, Pennsylvania
Obama for America/Organizing for America |
PENNSYLVANIA
|
Obama Main
Page
page
revised July 18, 2013
...for
additions,
corrections
and
other
changes
contact
facebook | twitter | state page
State
Director Bill Hyers
Campaign manager on Gov. Steve Beshear's re-elect
campaign in Kentucky, 2011. Campaign manager on Milwaukee Mayor
Tom
Barrett's 2010 gubernatorial campaign. White House’s liaison to
the Department of Veterans Affairs. Midwest regional director on
Obama's 2008 general election campaign. Campaign manager on
Jeanne
Shaheen's U.S. Senate campaign in New Hampshire from Nov. 2007-July
2008. State director on former Sen. John
Edwards' Nevada caucus campaign. Campaign manager on Michael
Nutter for
Mayor May 2007 Democratic primary campaign in Philadelphia.
Campaign
manager for Kristen
Gillibrand’s successful 2006 congressional campaign in New York’s 20th
district, defeating the incumbent Republican congressman. In Fall
2004,
Hyers worked as the Coordinated Campaign Director in Alaska.
Central Iowa regional field director on Edwards' 2003-04 Iowa
caucus campaign. State field director for the Judi Dutcher for
Governor
primary campaign and then regional director for the Minnesota State
House
DFL Caucus in the 2002 cycle. Worked on a number of local
campaigns
in Duluth and Minneapolis starting in 2001. Before entering
the political field, Hyers served in the U.S. Army, 1993-98; as a
Military Police
soldier; he was stationed in Bosnia during Operation Joint
Endeavor.
B.A. in political science from St. Cloud State University in MN.
Illinois native.
General Election Director Aletheia Henry
A regional director for Organizing for America at the DNC. Henry worked eight states during during Obama's 2007-08 primary campaign; she attended a Camp Obama in Chicago in 2007, and started as an organizer on the Iowa caucus campaign in the Knoxville office (South Central Iowa); . twitter
Communications
Senior Advisor for Communications Desiree
Peterkin Bell
Director of communications and strategic partnerships to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Director of communications for Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, 2006-10. Senior director and vice president of government affairs for the New York City Marketing Development Corporation, 2004-06. Supervising legislative representative City of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, 2002-04. Special assistant to Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, 2001-02. Legal supervising assistant at Skadden Arps, 2000-01. M.P.A. 2002; B.A. degrees in political science and education from Swarthmore College, 2000. twitter
Press Secretary Jennifer Austin
(Sept. 2011) Previously enior communications
advisor in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from May
2009. A regional field director on Obama's 2008 campaign in
Michigan. Field manager for the International Rescue Committee,
2006-07. Journalist at The New
Vision, Uganda's daily newspaper, 2005-06. B.A. in public
policy and international affairs from Princeton University, 2005.
Eastern Regional Press Secretary Devora Kaye
(Jan. 2012) Deputy communications director on
Kentucky Gov. Steve
Beshear's re-election campaign, 2011. Worked on Alex Sink's 2010
gubernatorial campaign in Florida, and earlier was executive assistant
and intern coordinator at
the Democratic Governors' Association in the 2010 cycle. Worked
for a political media firm in Nashville in the 2008 cycle.
M.Ed. in organizational leadership and bachelor's degree in political
science and human and organizational development from Vanderbilt
University. Grew up in Santa Monica, CA. twitter
Western Regional Press Secretary Matthew
Mittenthal
(June 2012) Press secretary at the NYC
Department of Education,
2010-12. Deputy press secretary in the Office of the Public
Advocate for the City of New York, 2009-10. Field organizer on
Obama's 2008 campaign. B.A. in philosophy from Princeton
University, 2008.
Press Assistant Lauren Hitt
(Aug. 2012; started as a communications intern in Jan.
2012)
Working towards B.A. in communications from University of Pennsylvania.
Press Assistant Dani Lever
(Aug. 2012) Press officer in the Office of NY
State Attorney
General Eric Schneiderman, Jan. 2011-Aug. 2012. Campaign
consultant at VShift, 2010-11. Press relations at the William
Jefferson Clinton Foundation Sept.-Dec. 2009. B.A. in journalism
and mass communications from University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009.
Digital
Digital Director Josh Cook
(Sept. 2011) Online director at Progressives United, Feb.-Sept. 2011. Deputy new media director at the Feingold Senate Committeee, started May 2010. Graduate of American University, 2010; numerous internships. twitter
Deputy Digital Director Jessica Singleton
(Jan. 2012) Legal coordinator (May 2011-March
2012) and legal
assistant (May 2010-May 2011) at the Human Rights Campaign.
Assistant to the president at NDN, 2009-10. B.A. in political
science from Middlebury College, 2008.
Field
Field Director Allison Zelman
(Sept. 2011) Worked as a policy assistant for
the White House
Domestic Policy
Council and at the White House Council on Environmental
Quality as a special assistant in legislative affairs. Worked for
over a year on Obama's 2008 campaign starting as a volunteer in
California and concluding as a regional field director in New
Mexico. Bachelor's degree in international relations from
Connecticut College, 2007. twitter
Deputy Field Directors
Collar Counties
Jackie Cornell Bechelli
(Aug. 2012) Previously OFA New Jersey state
director from Jan. to Aug. 2012. Legislative and
political director at New Jersey Citizen Action since Dec. 2010.
New Jersey state director and earlier field director for Organizing for
America, 2010. Worked for Planned Parenthood in New Jersey in
several positions, 2003-10. B.A. in English and women’s and
gender studies from The College of New Jersey, 2004.
Greater PA Ryan O'Donnell
(Aug. 2012) A regional field director for
Organizing for America,
2010-11. Projectionist at Carmike Cinemas 2007-10. Data
director on Re-Elect Mayor Ed Pawlowski (Allentown), 2009. Field
organizer on Obama's 2008 campaign. Bachelor's degree in
mathematics, education from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2007.
Philadelphia
Alexis Confer
(Jan. 2012) Previously chief of state to NY City
Counciman Jimmy
Van Bramer, Jan. 2011-Jan. 2012. Director of special projects to
NY City Councilman Peter F. Vallone, Jr.. Campaign manager on
Vallone 2009. Youth special events director at ELCA, 2007-09;
marketing associate at the Union Square Partnership, 2007-08.
Social projects evaluator in Nairobi, Kenya for the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America. M.P.A. in policy analysis from New
York University, 2009; B.A. in political science from The George
Washington University, 2004. twitter
Western PA Anne
Batchelder
(June 2012) Previously special assistant at
USAID from Nov.
2010. Pediatric program manager at the Clinton Foundation,
2009-10. A regioal field director on Obama's 2008 campaign.
Acting field director at the ONE Campaign, 2005-07. Field
organizer at Debt Aids Trade Africa, 2005-06. B.A. in sociology
from Boston College, 2003.
Border States Edna
Ishayik
Communications director at the Institute for Policy
Integrity at NYU School of Law, from Aug. 2008. Executive
director at the New York State Democratic Committee, 2007-08.
Deputy political director on Spitzer Paterson 2006. Finance
director on Ellner for Manhattan, 2005. Finance director on Joe
Driscoll for congress, 2004. Campaign manager on Patti Morrissey
for Delegate, 2003. Field director on Anne Sumers for Congress,
2002. B.A. in philosophy from Douglass College at Rutgers
University.
Training Director/Deputy Field Director
Jen
Higgins
(Dec. 2011) Laptop and Mac reuse coordinator at
Free Geek, 2011. Research assistan/organizer at LGBT Mentoring
Project, 2010. twitter
Senior Field Staff Assistant William Block
(June 2012) High school student. Founder
(2007) and
executive director of the Francis E. Low Foundation (focus is on
student research into alternative energy).
data
Data Director Reed Scharff
(Aug. 2011) Regional data services director at
the DNC, Feb.-Aug.
2011. Data director at Organizing for America, June 2010-Feb.
2011. Data analyst at the Atlas Project, 2009-10.
Field director on Tim Nelson for County Attorney (AZ), mid-2008.
B.S. in neuroscience from Brandeis University, 2008.
Deputy Data Director (SE PA and
Philadelphia)
Matthew Phillips
(Jan. 2012; started in Feb. 2011 and served as a data
intern and data
summer organizer) B.S. in mechanical engineering from Cornell,
2007.
Deputy Data Director (West, Central, NE
PA) Kate
Dahl
(March 2012; also served as a data organizer in summer
2011) B.A.
in political science from Bryn Mawr, 2011; served as president of Bryn
Mawr Democrats in 2010.
Deputy Data Director (GOTV) Elliott Wilkes
(Sept. 2012) Grassroots technology specialist
for Chemonics-Kenya
Transition Initiative, 2011. Northeast regional data director at
the DNC, 2009-11. Worked on Obama's 2008 campaign as a deputy
voter file director. B.A. in international studies from Trinity
University San Antonio, 2009.
Deputy Data Director (GOTV) Joel Hartig
Working as a political data consultant in New York
City. A
regional data services director at the DNC, July 2009-Jan. 2011.
Worked on Obama's 2008 campaign starting as a volunteer in Rhode Island
and became the voter file manager in Wisconsin on the general election
campaign. Digital conversion specialist, lead academic editor and
indexer/editorial content analyst at Lexis-Nexis. B.A. in history
from Carleton College, 2000.
Regional Data Manager Judy Cheng
(Aug. 2012) Ph.D. in astrophysics from UC Santa
Cruz, 2012; M.S.
in astronomy and astrophysics from UC Santa Cruz, 2008; B.S. in physics
and astronomy from The Johns Hopkins University, 2006.
Regional Data Manager Brian Capuder
Working towards bachelors degree in math and economics
from New York
University.
Policy
Policy Director Sam Cornale
(April 2012) Served three and a half years in the
Obama
administration as a policy advisor to Labor Secretary Hilda
Solis. Member of the Obama-Biden Transition Team in the Labor,
Education, and Transportation Working Group, Nov. 2008-Feb. 2009.
Worked on Obama\'s 2008 campaign in Wisconsin as a regional field
director in the general election; started as an Obama Organizing Fellow
in Stevens Point (Portage County), WI. University of Wisconsin
alum. Madison, WI native. twitter
Political
Political Director Patrick Millham
Consultant at the Carey Group, a Pittsburgh-based
consulting firm, from
Jan. 2010. Started working for Allegheny County Executive Dan
Onorato in 2007 and served as statewide field and political director on
his 2010 campaign for governor. Field director on Luke
Ravenstahl's 2007 mayoral campaign in Pittsburgh. Regional
director on the Rendell for Governor campaign, 2006. Green Corps,
2005. Field organizer on John Kerry's presidential campaign, Fall
2004. Graduate of University of Pittsburgh, 2005.
Deputy Political Director Brittany Wise
Deputy finance director on Kentucky Gov. Steve
Beshear's re-election
campaign, 2011. Worked for the Kentucky Democratic Party as event
and intern coordinator. Worked on several Kentucky State Senate
races. B.A. in political science from the University of Kentucky,
2009.
Regional Political Directors
Southeastern Obra Kernodle
Eastern political director on Dan Onorato for
Governor. Worked in Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's
administration.
Northeastern Mary Topper
Executive director (Nov. 2008-May 2009), acting
executive director
(March-Nov. 2008) and director of operations (Aug. 2007-March 2008) for
the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. B.A. in political
science and Russian & East European Studies from University of
Pittsburgh, 2008.
Western Grant Gittlen
Executive director of the Allegheny County Democratic
Committee,
Jan.-Aug. 2012. Field director on Rich Fitzgerald for County
Executive, 2011-12. Regional field director on Pennsylvania VOTE
2010, the PA Coordinated Campaign; Southwest PA regional field
organizer on Onorato for Governor, Feb.-Aug. 2010. Field
organizer at Repower America, 2009-10. Indiana University of
Pennsylvania, 2009.
Deputy Regional Political Directors
Sincere Harris
Dillon McGarry
Political Assistant Astra Wallace
Associate at the Rudnick Spector Firm in Philadelphia,
Sept. 2011-Feb.
2012. J.D. from The George Washington University Law School,
2011; B.A. in comparative literature from Haverford College, 2005.
GOTV Political Brendan Cavanagh
(started in Aug. 2012 as deputy political
director) State
organizer and executive officer for the Australian Labor Party in
Sydney from Feb. 2008. President of NSW Young Labor,
2007-08. Bachelor of laws from University of Sydney, 2012;
bachelor of economic and social sciences, political science and
government from University of Sydney, 2006.
Operation Vote
Operation Vote Director Fernando
Trevino-Martinez
(April 2012) Previously NE regional field
coordinator at the
National Council of La Raza from Aug. 2011. Northeast regional
director at Democracia, Inc. from Sept. 2009. Founding member of
Oficina de Abogados. J.D. from Universidad Autónoma de
Nuevo León.
Deputy Operation Vote Director Micah Sims
(July 2012...lead for African Americans for Obama and
Faith
programs) Executive producer and host of the "Micah Sims Show" on
NBC Philadelphia from March 2011; CEO of MCTS Media Group from March
2009. Hosted a weekly radio show. In addition to his media
work, Sims serves on the ministerial staff of Mt. Tabor A.M.E. Church
in Philadelphia; he also founded and served as senior pastor of Victory
Temple A.M.E. Church. Bachelor's degree in communications from
Villanova University, 1991. Born and raised in Philadelphia.
Youth Vote Director Reese Neader
(Aug. 2012) Policy director at The Roosevelt
Institute, Campus
Network, May 2010-May 2012. B.A. degree from Denison University,
2010.
GOTV
GOTV Director Kevin Puleo
National regional director
for the Southwest on Organizing for America at the DNC. Worked on
Obama's 2008 campaign starting as a regional field director in
Charleston, SC, then as a regional field director in Birmingham,
AL and in Dallas, TX, and as field director on Obama's Colorado
Campaign for Change in the general election. Background in urban
affairs and community
development. Graduate of Penn State, 1997.
Voter Protection
Voter Protection Director Lauren Vidas
(April 2012) Government and external affairs
specialist (Jan.
2010-April 2012) and staff attorney/legislative aide (Jan. 2008-Jan.
2010) for the City of Philadelphia. Associate attorney at Mintzer
Sarowitz Zeris Ledva & Meyers, 2006-08. J.D. from University
of Miami School of Law, 2005; B.A. in political science, economics from
Saint Joseph's University, 2002.
Deputy Voter Protection Director Ted
Anastasiou
(Aug. 2012) National chair of Law School
Democrats of America,
the law student arm of the DNC, March. 2011-July 2012. Deputy
field organizer in Dayton, Ohio on Obama's 2008 campaign, Aug.-Nov.
2008. J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, 2012; B.A. in political
science and history from New York University, 2007.
Jessie Bradley
- Daniel Gleick - Julia Nitsche
- Anne Rollins
Deputy Voter Protection Coordinator Tyler
Crosby
(Aug. 2012, extern) J.D. from Northeastern
University
School of Law,
2013 (expected); B.A. in cognitive science from Vassar College,
2007.
...about 40 people total worked on the voter
protection
effort
OPERATIONS
Operations Director Sean Floyd
Project manager at NASWA/ITSC from July 2010; director
of information technology at National Association of State Workforce
Agencies (NASWA) from July 2009. Political web specialist at the
DNC, Jan.-Sept. 2006. Political science at St. Mary's College of
Maryland, 2006.
See also: "President Obama: Investing in
Rural Pennsylvania" (June 13,
2012) [PDF]
former
Deputy Field Director Chris Kelly
(March 2012) Senior director at First Focus
Campaign for
Children, Nov. 2009-mid-2011. Staff assistant, then legislative
assistant to U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, 2007-09. B.A. in
philosophy from Boston College, 2005.
independent of the campaign...
Allies
• Pennsylvania Democratic Party +
Chairman Jim Burn
(elected chair
June 19, 2010) Elected
to Allegheny County Council in 2005, and continues to serve
representing District 3. Of counsel at Cohen, Placitella and Roth
from 2009 and attorney at Abes Baumann, P.C. since 1993. Also
master instructor at Young Brothers Tae Kwon Do since 1999.
Chaired the Allegheny County Democratic Party, 2006-Jan. 2012.
Mayor of Millvale, 1994-2005. J.D.
from the University of Dayton in 1988. B.A. from Duquesne
University, 1985.
Executive Director Kevin Washo
(Aug. 2010) Senior advisor to
Sen. Bob Casey through Nov. 2009 after serving as deputy state director
from Dec. 2007-July 2008. Graduate of the University of
Pittsburgh, where he was Student Government Board President, 2002-03.
• America Votes +
State Director Mary Shull
Started with America Votes in 2006. Canvassed in
support of John
Kerry for MoveOn.org in 2004. Lives in Pittsburgh's
Morningside neighborhood. Pennsylvania native.