Obama General Election Campaign Organization, Indiana
updated March 6, 2009

Obama for America   >
State Director Emily Parcell
(reported June 20, 2008)  Political director on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign.  Managed Iowa Senate Democrats' political operation during the 2004 and 2006 elections (Democrats picked up a net gain of nine seats and took control of the Iowa Senate for the first time since 1996).  A regional field director (NW) on Rep. Dick Gephardt's 2004 Iowa caucus campaign.  Worked on Sen. Tom Harkin's 2002 re-election campaign.  Worked on Al Gore's Iowa caucus campaign.  Native Iowan; grew up in Mount Pleasant.
 
Communications Director Jonathan Swain
(announced June 30, 2008)  Press secretary for Sen. Evan Bayh; earlier in the year took a leave of absence to serve as communications director on Hillary Clinton's Indiana primary campaign.  Swain has more than 10 years of experience working in Indiana politics and government.  Prior to joining Bayh in June 2007 he served as communications director for the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a partnership between the United Steelworkers and several major manufacturers, and earlier as communications director for the grassroots consumer advocacy organization, Angie's List.  He served as press secretary for Gov. Joe Kernan and for more than six years worked as chief of staff/press secretary to First Lady Judy O'Bannon.  He started his career as a public information officer at the Indiana State Department of Health.  M.A. in public relations from Ball State University, 2004; B.A. in journalism from Culver Stockton College, 1992.

"Political Director" Junelle Cavero
Assistant to National AAPI Outreach at Hillary Clinton for President; worked on the campaign in Ohio.  Business development and marketing manager for the Government Affairs Department at McKenna Long and Aldridge LLP.  International Trade Department coordinator at Steptoe and Johnson LLP.  A nonprofit consultant at NP Results.  Government Affairs Department at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP.  Worked for a year at the Department of the Secretariat of the Registrar, International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.  B.A. in political science and economic from New York University, 1999; M.P.A. from American University 2004.

New Media Director Rick Scalf


Campaign for Change
General Election Director Rachel Haltom
College coordinator/youth vote on Obama's Iowa caucus campaign; also served as Indiana deputy field director during the primary.  Experience includes work for Wal-Mart Watch.  Graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, 2004.


Political/Policy Director Rohan Patel
Started on the campaign in Jan. 2007; did Rural America/Agriculture, Environmental/Energy & Young Professionals outreach and Polk County Political Director on the Iowa caucus campaign, served as state director on the campaign in Tennessee, Ohio primary desk in Chicago and then GOTV in Ohio, and was political director on the Indiana primary campaign.  Prior to joining the campaign Patel served as an events director for Gov. Chet Culver’s Inaugural Committee.  Worked on the Iowa State Senate campaign initially on the finance team and then in the field for Sen. Herman Quirmbach.  Worked on Sen. Evan Bayh’s AllAmerica PAC in 2006 in Washington, DC and Des Moines.  Graduate of Northwestern University.

Deputy Political Director Jennifer Parrish-Taylor
Worked on the 2004 Ohio Democratic Coordinated Campaign in Cincinnati.  Graduate of Smith College, 2004.
Constituency Director Vanessa Waserman
Field organizer in Dubuque on the Iowa caucus campaign.
Constituency Coordinator James Covey

Constituency Coordinator Allison Pulliam



Field Director
 Regina Fiorentini
Political director at Winning Connections.  Polk County regional field director on Iowans for Hillary starting in June 2007.  Canvass director on Lunsford-Stumbo for Change, 2007.  Regional field director for the Rhode Island Democratic Party, 2006.  San Gabriel Valley field director for the Alliance for a Better California, the campaign against Schwarzenegger-backed ballot initiatives, 2005. Field organizer for the Alaska Democratic Party, 2004.  Political assistant on the John Kerry for President Iowa caucus campaign.  Office manager on Citizens for Jim Fiorentini, Massachusetts State Senate campaign.  Graduate of Clark University, 2001.

Deputy Field Director
 Lily West
Worked on the Obama campaign in Iowa and Indiana during the primaries.
Deputy Field Director for Special Projects
 Dan Crawford

Regional Organization
(44 offices around the state plus state headquarters)
Youth Vote Director
 Chris Otness
Started on the campaign during the Iowa caucuses.
GOTV Director
 Tim Fraser
Fraser started as a regional director on Obama's NH primary campaign, then served as Obama's Arkansas state director and Rhode Island field director.

GOTV Coordinator
 Orrin Evans
Started on the campaign during the Iowa caucuses as a field organizer in Clayton County.

Border States Director (out of state volunteers)
 Charlie Anderson



Deputy Communications Director
 Tom Fazzini
Deputy press secretary for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) prior to joining the campaign.  Account executive at Buchanan Public Relations, LLC, 2005-07.  B.A. in politics from Oberlin College.

Deputy Press Secretary
 Bill Gibbons
Worked on the campaign in the Indiana primary and Montana.
Press Assistant Zach Baron



Director of Scheduling
 Nicole Yates
Took leave from Congressman Baron Hill’s staff where she works as his scheduler.  President of the New Albany NAACP.  Worked in customer service.  (Source: Dale Moss. "Obama campaign aide a proven leader in New Albany."  Courier-Journal, Aug. 27, 2008). 

Deputy Scheduler
 Megan Kelly

Scheduling Assistant
 Robin Tew
        


Operations Director
 Prianka Sharma
Started out as a field assistant on the Iowa caucus campaign.  Graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University.  From Burr Ridge, Illinois.
Compliance Manager
 Brandi Bruns



Voterfile Manager/Data Director Matt Lackey

Deputy Voterfile Manager Nathan Lundby

Deputy Voterfile Manager Roger Brown

Data Assistant Lena Tom



Voter Protection Director Virginia Davis

 


Indiana Democratic Party  |  One North Capitol  |  Suite 200  |  Indianapolis, IN 46204   >
Chair
 Dan Parker
Executive director of the party in the 2004 cycle.  State director to Sen. Evan Bayh for three years.  Coordinated Mayor Bart Peterson's ground campaign and the elections of Indianapolis City-County Councilors, 1999.  Political director to Speaker John Gregg in the 1996 and 1998 elections, helping Indiana House Democrats win 11 new seats and re-capture a majority.  Involved in the Indiana Democratic Party since 1992.  Graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.  Born in Braintree, Mass.

Vice-Chair Cordelia Lewis-Burks        Deputy Chair (non-voting) Hon. Thomas McDermott, Jr.        Deputy Chair (non-voting) Dora May Abel          Secretary Fay Allen          Treasurer Hon. Linda Buzinec      Legal Counsel (non-voting) Mary Titsworth Chandler      CPA (non-voting) Michael Claytor      Parliamentarian (non-voting) Kevin Murray
DNC Members Hon. Bob Pastrick, Connie Thurman and Phoebe Crane.
Executive Director
 Jenny Hill Weiser
(from March 2007)  Previously served as the party's finance director.  Director of communications and special events for the Damien Center.  Residence director for former First Lady Maggie Kernan.  Hill Weiser has worked in financial and political roles on various statewide and national campaigns and served on the planning committee for the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.  Graduate of Indiana University.
Communications Director
 Lauren Smith
Communications director to Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-5), July 2007-July 2008.  Press secretary to Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Jan.-July 2007.
Voter File Manager
 Mark Lee


Compliance Director/Special Events Coordinator
 Kelly Norton


Executive Assistant
 Cameron Radford


Central Indiana Field Organizer
 Brent Pierce


Ninth District Congressional Field Organizer
 Jonathan Hall


Indiana House Finance Director - Kristen Self
Indiana Senate Campaign Director - Russell Bennett


Obama primary
2004 Kerry
Copyright © 2008  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action