Americans Elect
Americans Elect is "a nonpartisan, nonprofit
organization that is
not
affiliated with any
political party, ideology or candidate." Its
website states, "It is funded exclusively by
individual contributions—and not from corporate, labor, special
interest, foreign, or lobbyist sources. And we intend to repay our
initial financing so that no single individual will have contributed
more than $10K." Americans Elect organized in April 2010 as a
Section 527
organization; later in 2010 it reorganized as a 501(c)(4).
Leaders of Americans Elect state that it is not a political party,
although it is
indisputedly fulfilling some of the roles of a political party.
(page updated October 5, 2011)
Board of Directors: Peter Ackerman, Wendy Drake,
Kahlil Byrd, Joshua S. Levine
"...not less than three (3) nor more than nine
(9)."
"The founding Board of Directors of Americans Elect shall consist of
those persons named in the Articles of Incorporation. At each annual
meeting of the Board of Directors, the Directors then in office shall
elect Directors. Each Director shall hold office for a term of one year
until the next annual meeting of the Board, and until his or her
successor has been elected and qualified."
Officers
Chairman (or President) Peter Ackerman
Founding chair of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict and managing director of Rockport Capital, Inc., a private investment firm. managing director of the Crown Capital Group. Visiting scholar at International Institute for Strategic Studies. Director of International Capital Markets at Drexel Burnham Lambert from 1978-1990; worked on recapitalizations and leveraged buyouts (described as the "right-hand man to Michael Milken.") M.A. (1969), M.A.L.D. (1971) and Ph.D. (1976) from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; B.A. from Colgate University, 1968. Co-author of Strategic Nonviolent Conflict: The Dynamics of People Power in the Twentieth Century (2004) and A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict (2001).
Vice Chairman (or Vice President)
xx.
Secretary Wendy Drake
President at the Webster Group, a small, woman-owned fundraising and event management company, has worked there since 2001. M.B.A. from The George Washington University School of Business, 2002; B.S. from Drury University, 1994.
Treasurer
xx.
Convention, Delegate, Members
Convention
"The Americans Elect nominee will be chosen by popular vote in a secure online convention in June of 2012. Each verified Delegate will be entitled to one vote in the online convention. Results of the convention will be verified by an Independent Panel of Experts."
Delegates
"Delegates are Members who have submitted sufficient
information to permit verification of their lawful status as registered
voters and citizens of the United States, and who have been so verified
by Americans Elect, and who have accepted the Delegate Pledge as
provided by the Rules Committee."
Members
All persons who are citizens of the United States may register online as Members...
Committees
Standing
Committees (4)
Rules Committee
"...responsible for development of all rules for the
conduct of internet-based conventions, including drafting,revision and
amendments of such rules..."
Platform of Questions Committee
"...developing proposed questions for submission to the Delegates, polling the Delegates to determine which questions to include in the final platform of questions as well as any amendments thereto, tendering the platform of questions to all persons who are identified either as potential or drafted candidates for Americans Elect nomination as well as to the nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties..."
Candidates Certification Committee
"...certifying that candidates and draftees for the
offices and
president and vice president meet all constitutional eligibility, as
well as to develop and apply criteria of demonstrated achievements
based on qualifications of past presidents and vice presidents to
ensure that only persons capable of performing the duties of president
and vice president are eligible for voting by the registered
Delegates..."
Technology Integrity Committee
"...oversight of all aspects of internet interface and
function,
including development and maintenance, website content, delegate
certification, internet convention operation and audit, software
development and licensing, hardware and data storage purchase, lease or
licensing, digital media, email and social networking and shall develop
and oversee all outside contractors responsible for all aspects of
internet functionality."
State-Based Chapters or Committees
Staff
Chief Executive Officer Kahlil Byrd
Founder of Sung Media Ventures, an advisory firm that helps launch and nurture sustainable international media organizations. In the first part of 2008, Byrd was communications director to Jeff Beatty, Republican Senate candidate in Massachusetts. Director of appointments to Gov. Deval Patrick. Communications director on Deval Patrick's 2006 campaign for governor, March 2005-April 2006. Eight years in public broadcasting as a producer and reporter. Early career in finance. M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School; B.A. in political science from Morehouse College. Grew up in Washington, DC.
Chief Operations Officer Elliot L. Ackerman
(initially policy director) Experience includes eight
years as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer,
Special Operations Officer, and Intelligence Officer; served several
tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Chief Technology Officer Joshua S. Levine
(Dec. 2010) CEO at ESP Technologies,
2007-10. Chief
technology and Operations office at E*Trade Financial Corp.,
1999-2005. Managing director at Deutsche Bank, 1997-99; managing
director at Morgan Stanley, 1985-97. Consultant, IBM Corp.
1984-85. Sales engineer/manager at I.P. Sharp Associates, 1977-84.
National Field Director Kellen Arno
Vice president of Arno Political Consultants,
2003-present. Research associate at Capitol Links, 2004-08.
Worked on Secretary of State Bill Jones' 2002 gubernatorial campaign in
California. Two years in the executive office of the California
Secretary of State's office as a media relations specialist.
Degree in history from UC Davis.
Ballot Access Advisor Michael Arno
President and founder (1979) of Arno Political
Consultants (+); firm specializes
in collecting signatures for petition drives. President of
Capitol Links, 1991-2007. Earlier in his career he was an editor
for the Dallas Morning News
and the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Studied
journalism
and
history
at
UCLA.
Chief Communications Officer Sarah Malm
Asia senior strategist (independent contractor) in
Kuala Lumpur, 2008-10. Managing director of Public Strategies,
Inc., 2007-08. Communications advisor to US AID in Indonesia,
2006-07. M.B.A. from University of Texas at Austin,
2001. Started career
working for U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. B.A. in political science from
Middlebury College, 1987. Grew up in New York.
Press Secretary Ileana Wachtel
Based in Los Angeles, Wachtel has worked in politics for nearly 20 years, serving in press and research positions on local, state and national campaigns including as national press secretary on Jerry Brown's 1992 presidential campaign.
Regional Press Secretary Dagny Leonard
(Sept. 2011)
Regional Press Secretary Traci McMillan
(Aug. 2011) McMillan most recently was a reporter for
Bloomberg BGov and
has worked numerous internships in media. Master's in journalism
from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, 2011.
B.B.A. from University of Notre Dame, 2009.
Campus Director Nick Troiano
Senior at Georgetown University pursing a degree in
political science. Fou From Milford, PA. [blog]
General Counsel Dan Winslow
Currently a state representative in the Massachusetts
House of
Representatives from the Ninth District, based in Norfolk; and senior
counsel at Proskauer Rose LLP. Chief
legal counsel to Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 2002-05.
Judge in Massachusetts for nearly eight years. J.D. from Boston
College Law School, 1983. B.A. in political science from Tufts
University, 1980.