Democratic Governors' Association – 2017-18

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 2018

Chairman  Gov. Jay Inslee (WA)

(elected Dec. 4, 2017)   Elected Governor in Nov. 2012 and re-elected in Nov. 2016.  Elected to Congress in Nov. 1998 and resigned March 20, 2012 to run for governor.  Regional director of the U.S. Department of HHS, 1997-98.  Candidate for governor in 1996.  Elected to Congress in 1992, but defeated in 1994.  Member of the Washington state house of representatives, 1988-92.  City prosecutor, 1976-84; attorney in private practice.  J.D. from Willamette University School of Law, 1976; B.A. from University of Washington, 1972.

Vice Chair  Gov. Gina Raimondo (RI)


DGA Policy Chair  Gov. Andrew Cuomo (NY)


Finance Director  Rebecca (Yoskowitz) Klein

Most recently finance director for U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH).  Campaign services at the DSCC from April 2013.  Finance director on David Cicilline for Congress (RI), May-Nov. 2012.  Development director for The Israel Project, Sept. 2011-May 2012.  Development at BBYO, July 2010-June 2011.  Finance director on Dan Gelber for Attorney General (FL), Jan.-May 2010.  PAC consultant for Kalik and Associates, Feb. 2008-Jan. 2010.  Florida finance director on John Edwards for President, May 2007-Jan. 2008.  Finance director on Tim Mahoney for Congress, Jan.-April 2017.  Finance director on Ron Klein for Congress (FL), Feb.-Dec. 2006.  B.S. degree from University of Maryland College Park, 2002.

Campaign Director  Trey Nix

(reported by Politico Magazine on July 18, 2017)  Campaign manager on Attorney General Roy Cooper's successful 2016 campaign for governor of North Carolina.  Campaign manager on U.S. Sen. Mark Warner's (VA) 2014 re-election campaign.  Campaign manager on Aneesh Chopra's 2013 campaign for lieutenant governor of Virginia.  Originally from Alabama.  twitter



2017 Leadership and Organization

Chairman  Gov. Dan Malloy (CT)

(elected Dec. 7, 2015, and re-elected Dec. 5, 2016)   Elected Governor in Nov. 2010 and re-elected in Nov. 2014.  Unsuccessful candidate in the Democratic primary for governor in 2006.  Mayor of Stamford from 1995-2009.  Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, NY, 1980-84.  Graduate of Boston College Law School and Boston College.  Born and raised in Stamford.

Vice Chair and Chair-Elect  Gov. Jay Inslee (WA)


DGA Policy Chair  Gov. Andrew Cuomo (NY)
Redistricting Project Chair  Gov. Terry McAuliffe (VA)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Executive Director  Elisabeth Pearson

(reported by Politico on Dec. 22, 2014, continued on from when Gov. Bullock was chair)  Pearson was political director at the DGA in the 2014 cycle; started at the DGA as campaign director in the 2012 cycle.  Deputy political director at the DSCC in the 2010 cycle.  Campaign manager on Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor of Virginia, 2009.  Virginia Victory 2008 coordinated campaign director.  Campaign director for the Democratic Party of Virginia in 2006-07.  Managed Dan Bowling's campaign for Delegate (VA) in Jan. 2006 special election.  Deputy director of the statewide coordinated campaign that elected Tim Kaine in 2005.  Worked at Winning Directions.  Undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College, 2003.  Grew up in Kittery Point, ME.

POLITICAL

Political Director  Corey Platt

Deputy political director at the DGA in the 2014 cycle.  National field director at SEIU during the 2012 cycle.  Over a decade managing and working on campaigns including: Senior advisor at the Missouri Democratic Party and directed the coordinated campaign for Robin Carnahan’s 2010 Senate campaign.  Campaign manager on Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty's brief campaign for governor of Pennsylvania, 2009-Feb. 2010.  Managed Kay Barnes for Congress in 2008.  Political director for the Missouri Democratic Party.  twitter

?Deputy Political Director  Marshall Cohen

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications Director  Jared Leopold

(announced Feb. 18, 2015)  To the DGA from Sen. Maria Cantwell's office where he served as communications director for four years; also communications advisor on Cantwell's 2012 re-election campaign.  Deputy communications director at the DSCC in Fall 2010.  Campaign manager on Cal Cunningham's 2010 U.S. Senate primary race in North Carolina.  Virginia Victory 2008 communications director.  Worked with the Virginia House and Senate caucuses on the 2007 elections.  Graduate of Northwestern University.  Philadelphia native. twitter

Press Secretary  Melissa Miller 

(Sept. 13, 2017)  Most recently communications director to U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ).  Press secretary for the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Nov. 2015.  Press secretary (June 2014-) and scheduler (Jan. 2013-May 2014) to U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos.  Call time manager on Friends of Cheri Bustos (IL), Jan.-Dec. 2012.  Fall fellow and office schedule manager at Obama for America, Sept.-Dec. 2011.  B.A. in government, performing arts, French from Georgetown University, 2011.  twitter

Deputy Press Secretary  Alex Japko

(Feb. 2017)  Worked on Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's 2016 campaign for Governor.  Graduate of Wesleyan University, 2014.  twitter

DIGITAL

Digital Director  Gavrie Kullman

(announced Feb. 18, 2015)  Director of direct response fundraising for the DGA from July 2014.  Director of online development for United Service Organizations (US), Oct. 2011-July 2014.  Senior account executive at Anne Lewis Strategies, June 2007-Oct. 2011.  Deputy director of marketing, online (Dec. 2006-June 2007) and direct marketing coordinator (April 2005-Dec. 2006) at the DSCC.  Field organizer at Tom Daschle for Senate, March-Dec. 2004.  Field coordinator in Nashua, NH on John Kerry for President, Nov. 2003-Feb. 2004.  B.A. in political science from UC Riverside, 2003.

Digital Assistant  Ronnie Eder

(July 2015)  B.A. in political communication from The George Washington University, 2015.

Designer and Developer  Josh Ellis

(May 2017)  DGA digital assistant, Feb. 2016-May 2017.  Also self employed freelance web developer since Jan. 2017. Master's degree in political communication (2016) and bachelor's degreee in political science and government (2015) from American University.

Research

Research Director  Heather Owens

Previously research manager at EMILY's List.  Research analyst at IMS, Inc., March 2007-July 2013.  Research analyst at the DCCC, Jan. 2006-March 2007.  M.P.P. from The George Washington University, 2008; B.A. in politics and international studies from Fairfield University, 2005.

Deputy Research Director  Emma Anspach

(Jan. 2016)  Director of communications and research on Ginny Deerin for Mayor of Charleston, SC, Feb.-Nov. 2015.  Research analyst at the DCCC, Jan.-Dec. 2014.  Defense/national security legislative analyst at Cassidy and Associates, Jan.-Oct. 2013.  Field organizer for the DCCC, July-Nov. 2012.  B.A. in political science and history from Duke University, 2012.

Research Assistant  Jonathan Geldof

(June 2016)  Bachelor's degreee in political science and government from University of Kentucky, 2016.

Policy

Policy Director  Kwame Boadi

(Feb. 2015)  Account executive at Mack-Sumner communications, June-Nov. 20014.  Economic policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, July 2012-June 2014.  Polycy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities/DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Aug. 2010-July 2012.  Correspondence specialist in the Office of Sen. Mark Warner, Jan.-Aug. 2010.  Federal policy analyst in the Office of Gov. Tim Kaine, Oct. 2009-Jan. 2010.  Research consultant at MJ Beck Consulting, LLC, Oct. 2008-June 2009.  Finance associate at Political Development Group, LLC, Aug. 2005-July 2007.  Virginia campaigns, Jan.-June 2005.  Account manager at Winning Directions, June 2004-Jan. 2005.  Field director on Puller for Senate (VA-36)/Amundson for Delegate (VA-44), June-Nov. 2003.  Canvass director on Mark Shriver for Congress (MD-8), May-Sept. 2002.  M.A. in international relations from The Johns Hopkins University SAIS, 2009; B.A. in political science and economics from University of Virginia, 2004.  Originally from Ghana.

Policy Associate  Brandon Graham

(Nov. 2015)  Deputy regional director in U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer's Hudson Valley regional office, June 2014-Nov. 2015.  Regional field organizer on Juliette Kayyem for Governor (MA), May-June 2014.  Bachelor's degree in political science from UMass Amherst, 2014.

DATA

Data Science Director  Michelle Finkle

(Feb. 2016)  GOTC deputy data director at Hillary for America, Jan.-Feb. 2016.  Data analyst at The Voter Participation Center, March 2015-Jan. 2016.  Midwest targeting director for the DCCC, Dec. 2013-Dec. 2014.  Deputy data director for the Democratic Party of Virginia Coordinated Campaign, Terry McAuliffe for Governor, Aug.-Nov. 2013.  Wisconsin data and targeting director at America Votes, March 2012-July 2013.  Call time manager for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Oct. 2011-Feb. 2012.  B.A. in political science, business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2011.

FINANCE

Finance Director  Noam Lee

(announced Feb. 18, 2015)  Major donor director at the DGA in the 2014 cycle from Feb. 2013-Feb. 2015.  Southern finance director at the DSCC, Feb. 2011-Jan. 2013.  Deputy finance director on Friends for Harry Reid, May-Nov. 2010.  Deputy finance director on Alex Sink for Governor (FL), Jan.-April 2010.  Northern Virginia finance director on Virginians for Wagner, Jan.-Nov. 2009.  Regional field director for the Democratic Party of Virginia, Oct.-Nov. 2008.  Senior associate at The Media Guys, Inc., March-Sept. 2008.  Field organizer on John Edwards for President, July 2007-Jan. 2008.  Deputy campaign manager on Kacie Starr Triplett for Alderman, Jan.-March 2007.  Field organizer on Jeff Smith for Missouri Senate, June-Aug. 2008.  B.A. in political science, Hebrew from Washington University in St. Louis, 2007.  Originally from Tempe, AZ.

Deputy Finance Director  Kate Bukowski

(started Dec. 2013 as finance and events assistant)  Program manager and events coordinator at Winning Connections, Jan. 2012-Dec. 2013.  Internships.  B.A. in anthropology and political science from University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2011. 

Events Director  Lindsay Hayes

(Jan. 2016)  Director of scheduling and advance at the U.S. Small Business Administration, Sept. 2014-Jan. 2016.  Deputy director and hotel program director (June 2013-Sept. 2014), advance coordinator (Aug. 2012-June 2013) and advance associate (April-July 2012) at The White House.  Consultant to the DGA, Jan.-March 2012.  Finance director on Taxpayers for Quinn (IL), Oct. 2011-Jan. 2012.  Events director (Dec. 2009-Oct. 2011), deputy finance director (Dec. 2009-Dec. 2009) and finance assistant (Feb.-Dec. 2007) at the DGA.  Policy assistant at the Children's Defense Fund, Aug. 2005-Jan. 2007.  B.A. in sociology, political science from The Ohio State University, 2005.

Deputy Events Director  ?

Major Donor Director  Meghan Meehan-Draper

Has served as finance director for multiple congressional and down ballot state-wide campaigns.  In 2014 she served as finance director on Gov. Dan Malloy's re-election, and earlier as finance director on Allyson Schwartz's campaign for governor in Pennsylvania.  Graduate of Ekerd College.  Florida native.

Director of Corporate Membership  ?


OPERATIONS AND MORE

Chief Operating Officer  Stephen Hill

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Director of Operations & Intern Coordinator  Donna Tappin

Also director of operations in the 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 cycles.  B.Sc. in marketing from University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus, 1979.

Compliance Associate  Audrey Schlette

(April 2016)  Development associate (Feb. 2015-March 2016) and development assistant (June 2014-Feb. 2015) at Americans for Responsible Solutions.  B.A. in American studies, government from Connecticut College, 2014.

Administrative Assistant  ?


LEGAL

General Counsel  Marc Elias

Chair of the Perkins Coie Political Law practice, joined the firm in 1993; among Elias' other clients are the DNC, DSCC and DCCC.  General counsel to Hillary for America.  General counsel to John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.   J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and M.A. in political science from Duke University, 1993.  B.A. in government from Hamilton College, 1990.  New York native.

Counsel  Jon Berkon

Associate in the Political Law group at Perkins Coie since Jan. 2010.  Associate at Convington & Burling, Nov. 2008-Jan. 2010.  Deputy Wisconsin voter protection director on Obama for America, Aug.-Nov. 2008.  Analyst, assistant to the president at the Feldman Group, 2004-05.  J.D. from Harvard Law School, 2008; B.A. in history from Yale University, 2003.






INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES

I.E. Director  Joe Schafer

Campaign manager on Tom Wolf for Governor, April 2013-Dec. 2014.  Campaign manager for Gov. Tomblin in West Virginia, Feb. 2011-Nov. 2012.  Northeast political director at the DCCC, April 2009-Jan. 2011.  Executive director of the Pennsylvania HDCC, March 2008-March 20089.  Campaign manager on No on I-96-, Aug.-Nov. 2007.  Campaign manager on Zack Space for Congress (OH-18), June-Nov. 2006.  Campaign manager on Tammy Duckworth for Congress (IL-6), Dec. 2005-April 2006.  Campaign manager on Leslie Byrne for Lt. Governor, March-Nov. 2005.  Campaign manager on David Valesky for State Senate (NY), July-Nov. 2004.  Studied at Northwestern University.





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