DNC Staff
Clyde WilliamsClyde Williams is currently the Political Director of the Democratic National Committee. Williams was formerly the deputy chief of staff in the Deptartment of Agriculture and a senior advisor to the Clinton Foundation for matters pertaining to domestic policy and undeserved communities. Before joining the DNC, Williams was founder and president of his own business development firm, Certus Advisors, based in New York City. Prior to entering national politics, Williams worked for District of Columbia City Council Chairman John A. Wilson. Source: http://www.nebraskademocrats.org/blog/1852/dnc-announces-clyde-williams-as-new-political-director
Mitch StewartMitch Stewart is most recently recognized for his work during President Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign. He joined the Campaign in January 2007 as the Iowa State Caucus Director, where the candidate's first place win established him as a serious challenger to then front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. He later served as the Virginia State Director in the general election, turning Virginia blue for the first time in 44 years. Stewart’s political career has also included positions in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party, Environmental Defense and Senator Tom Daschle’s Re-election Campaign. Stewart is currently the Director of Organizing for America, a special project of the Democratic National Committee. Source: http://now2009.confabb.com/users/profile/mstewart .gov/
Addisu DemissieAddisu Demissie is currently the National Political Director of Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee. Most recently, he has worked on Obama for America as the Get Out the Vote Director of Ohio. A committed Democrat, Demissie is a Kerry campaign veteran who also was a key aide for Terry McAuliffe during his time as the DNC Chairman. After taking a year off from Yale Law School to work on the Kerry campaign in 2004, Demissie graduated in May 2008 and jumped right back into politics. His efforts in getting out the vote in Ohio were extremely coordinated and a significant reason why that battleground state turned blue. Source: http://www.theroot.com/views/roots-talented-ten-addisu-demissie
Elected Officials
Governor Tim KaineTim Kaine, the 70th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, was elected DNC Chair on January 21, 2009. During Governor Kaine’s tenure, Virginia has been recognized as the most business-friendly state in America (Forbes.com 2006, 2007 and 2008; CNBC 2007), the top-performing state government in America (Governing Magazine, 2008) and the state where “a child is most likely to have a successful life” (Education Week, 2007). Under Governor Kaine’s leadership, Virginia boasts one of the highest median incomes and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. In education, Governor Kaine has helped move the focus in the classroom from competence to excellence. In health care, Governor Kaine has worked to expand care options for children and expectant mothers, the health care safety net for the uninsured, foster care services, and medical education. He has dedicated the last year of his administration to a “Renew Virginia” initiative, which will focus on reducing greenhouse gases, protecting the environment, and developing green energy and “green collar” jobs in Virginia. Governor Kaine has helped Virginia Democrats regain two U.S. Senate seats, a majority of Virginia’s Congressional delegation, and control of the state Senate. In addition, as State Chairman of Obama for Virginia, he helped Virginia deliver its 13 electoral votes to a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since 1964. His career of public service began when he took a year off from law school to volunteer with missionaries in Honduras. Governor Kaine practiced law in Richmond for 17 years, representing people who had been denied housing opportunities because of their race or disability. Starting in 1994, he was elected to four terms on the City Council, including two terms as Richmond's mayor, where he worked to build Richmond’s first new schools in a generation, cut taxes and slash the city’s crime rate. The improvements in Richmond's economy during Kaine's tenure earned the city its first-ever listing in Forbes Magazine's annual ranking of the top 10 cities in America for doing business. Source: DNC Website, www.dnc.org
Democratic House Leader James E. ClyburnOn November 16th, 2006, the House Democratic Caucus unanimously elected Congressman James E. Clyburn of South Carolina Majority Whip, a position he continues to hold in the 111th Congress. This was a historic day for House Democrats, having just won back the majority for the first time in twelve years. It was also historic for Jim Clyburn, who became the first South Carolinian and the second African American to ascend to the third ranking position in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected president of his NAACP youth chapter when he was 12 years old, participated in many marches and demonstrations, and was chosen as the star witness in a 1960 Orangeburg civil disobedience case defended by the legendary Matthew Perry. That case developed from the arrest of 388 college students -- two of whom were Jim and Emily England of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, whom he met during that incarceration. He was later jailed during a 1961 march on the South Carolina State Capitol in Columbia that resulted in the landmark breach of the peace case Edwards v South Carolina. Jim launched the pursuit of his dream in 1970 running for the South Carolina House of Representatives. He went to bed a 500-vote winner, and awoke a 500-vote loser. His pragmatic reaction as reported in the local newspaper, "I lost because I didn’t get enough votes," caught the eye of the newly elected governor, John Carl West. He asked James, whom he dubbed "Jim," to join his administration. In accepting the post, James E. Clyburn became the first African American advisor to a South Carolina governor since post Reconstruction. Congressman Clyburn began his steady climb on Capitol Hill winning election as co-President of his freshman class. Six years later, he was unanimously elected Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and to a seat on the coveted Appropriations Committee. In 2002, he was elected in a three-way race to serve as Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and in January 2006, his peers unanimously elevated him to Chair of the Caucus. In addition to serving as House Majority Whip, Congressman Clyburn serves as leader of the House Democrat’s Faith Working Group. The Clyburns have three daughters, Mignon Clyburn, Angela Hannibal and Jennifer Clyburn Reed, two sons-in-law, Cecil Hannibal and Walter Reed; and two grandchildren, Walter A Clyburn Reed and Sydney Alexis Reed.
Senator Arlen SpecterSince first elected in 1980, Arlen Specter has brought rugged individualism and fierce independence learned from his youth on the Kansas plains to become a leading Senate moderate. His work as Philadelphia’s tough District Attorney gave him insights to write the Terrorist Prosecution Act, the Armed Career Criminal Act and co-author of the Second Chance Act. His legal background and experience in constitutional law provided the skills to chair the dignified confirmation hearings of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito. In earlier confirmation hearings he had the courage to cross party lines in opposing Judge Bork and disagreeing with conventional wisdom in supporting Justice Thomas after dissecting the contradictory and highly charged testimony. As a consummate legislator, he has counseled compromise and conciliation in a Congress which has established new records for partisan discord. In foreign affairs, he has advocated dialogue and accommodation as an antidote to belligerency and saber rattling. Source: Website of the Senator, http://specter.senate.gov/
Congressman Mike HondaSince 2001, Mike Honda has represented the 15th Congressional District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives. His district includes Silicon Valley, the birthplace of technology innovation and the leading region for the development of the technologies of tomorrow. Mike has been a public servant for decades during which he has been lauded for his work on education, transportation, civil rights, national service, the environment, and high-tech issues. Mike was born in California, but spent his early childhood with his family in an internment camp in Colorado during World War II. After a decade living in Chicago, his family returned to California in 1953, becoming strawberry sharecroppers in San José's Blossom Valley. In 1965, Mike interrupted his college studies to answer President John F. Kennedy's call for volunteer service. He served in the Peace Corps for two years in El Salvador, returning with a passion for teaching and fluent in Spanish. Mike earned Bachelor's degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish, and a Master's degree in Education from San José State University. In 1981, Mike won his first election, gaining a seat on the San José Unified School Board. In 1990, Mike was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, where he led efforts to acquire and preserve open space in the county. Mike served in the California State Assembly from 1996 to 2000. In 2000, Mike was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and serves on the Appropriations Committee, with postings on that body's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Legislative Branch Subcommittees. In 2007, he was named House Democratic Senior Whip by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC). In 2009, Mike was re-elected as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Working with DNC Chair Tim Kaine, some of what Mike will do is help new Americans register to vote, outreach to ethnic and specialty media, ensure that Democrats’ voices and votes abroad are counted, and reach out to the Spanish-speaking community given Mike’s Spanish fluency. Source: Website of the Congressman, http://honda.house.gov/biography.shtml
Congressman Tim RyanTim Ryan was first sworn in as a member of Congress on January 7, 2003. Now in his fourth term, Ryan has proven himself to be strong advocate for the working families of Ohio's 17th District and a dynamic leader in the House of Representatives. In 2006, Ryan was chosen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to join the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which is responsible for nominating Democratic Members to serve on House Committees and advising the Speaker on policy. That same year, the Steering and Policy Committee appointed Ryan to the powerful House Committee on Appropriations. Ryan's primary focus remains on the economy and quality-of-life of his Northeast Ohio congressional district. He works closely with local officials and community leaders to advance local projects that enhance the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio and help attract high-quality, high-paying jobs. In Congress, Ryan serves as co-chair of the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus and remains a leader in the fight to strengthen America's manufacturing base and reform U.S. trade polices. Ryan is also a champion of efforts to make college more affordable, revitalize America's downtowns and improve the health and well-being of American families and children. His work on these and other issues has garnered the attention of the national media and earned Ryan appearances on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC Evening News, Fox News, National Public Radio, the Washington Post and other outlets. Before his time in elected office, Ryan served as President of the Trumbull County Young Democrats, as well as Chairman of the Earning by Learning program in Warren, Ohio. He began his career in politics as a congressional aide with the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995 and later served as an intern for the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office. Source: Website of the Congressman, http://timryan.house.gov/
Presenters & Trainers
Christine PelosiAttorney, author, and activist Christine Pelosi runs leadership boot camps for aspiring public servants across the country. Her book, Campaign Boot Camp: Basic Training for Future Leaders, emerged from her years of grassroots activism and service on the Democratic National Committee and as director of the AFSCME PEOPLE/New House PAC Congressional Candidates Boot Camp, which worked with over 75 challengers in 2006 and 2008, 23 of whom are now Members of Congress. An avid baseball fan, she lives within walking distance of her beloved San Francisco Giants and serves on the Giants Community Fund board of directors. She is married to filmmaker Peter Kaufman; their daughter Isabella Pelosi Kaufman was born in March 2009. Christine has served as executive director of the CA Democratic Party, deputy city attorney and assistant district attorney for the City of San Francisco, HUD special counsel in the Clinton-Gore administration, and chief of staff to U.S. Congressman John F. Tierney (MA-06). From 1996-2009 she chaired the CA Democratic Party Platform Committee. Elected to the Democratic National Committee for times since 1996, she co-founded the DNC Veterans and Military Families Council. Christine holds a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law and a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Source: Huffington Post Blogger Biography, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-pelosi
Latoia JonesLatoia Jones, a political operative with over 10 years of experience, is the former Executive Director of College Democrats of America. In 2008, she was the Deputy Director of the Colorado Convention Center for the 2008 Democratic convention. Most recently, she was the labor and national political director for Terry McAuliffe's campaign for governor of Virginia. Before entering politics, she was in corporate America, a community activist, and volunteered to promote AIDS outreach in Africa, Asia, and low income areas. Johnson is also a former DNC Member.
CDA Leaders
CDA President Katie NaranjoA native Texan from the pineywoods of deep east Texas, Katie Naranjo began her career in Democratic politics at the ripe age of 6-knocking on doors with her dad for local Democrats and the 1992 Clinton/Gore campaign. When she joined the College Democrats at the University of Texas 12 years later, Katie went back to her focus on the grassroots. As the chapter's volunteer coordinator, she organized over 2,000 hours of block walks, phone banks and meet-and-greets for local candidates. Later as president of the Texas College Democrats, Katie expanded the number of active campus chapters from 8 to 32. She also established and funded a state capitol internship program that sent 2 to 5 students to the Texas Democratic leadership for paid internships every semester. So in 2006, with some hard work and encouragement from friends, Katie ran successfully for National Programs Director of the College Democrats of America. In 2007, she organized CDA's National Lobby Day for College Affordability - leading more than 100 students to Capitol Hill to talk about the rising costs of college. She also led the project to revise and update CDA's chapter and state federation manuals for the upcoming election. During her second term, Katie initiated and organized CDA's "Precinct Project"ﾝ - the largest national field plan the College Democrats have ever undertaken. As an activist for progressive causes, she's executed programs emphasizing World AIDS Month and Earth Day. Katie's philosophy of working with local chapters and issue caucuses has been something she learned from the day she began as a college freshman. Students are the ones who make the phone calls, knock on the doors and are at the very forefront of every major issue. As President, Katie has worked with students from across the United States to bring a voice to the youth vote and engage young voters. Youth voters are no longer a volunteer base, but a sincere and respectable voting constituency. College Democrats will continue to actively work to advocate for youth issues and mobilize students to make a difference this year and for our future.
CDA Vice President Alec SchierenbeckAlec Schierenbeck, the son of a labor union reporter and a nurse, is from Brooklyn, New York. A recent graduate of Grinnell College, Alec is the former president of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa. Alec first jumped into College Democratic politics when he helped defeat a Grinnell school board member who opposed teaching evolution in science class. As a Grinnell College Democrat, he worked to triple campus turnout over the 2006 midterm elections. After his work as a chapter leader, Alec was unanimously elected president of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa in 2007. As the head of Iowa's state federation during the 2008 caucus season, Alec drew national attention for his efforts to increase youth turnout and his vocal defense of student voting rights. In December of 2007, he worked to launch the "You Can Caucus" effort to educate college voters in Iowa on their right to caucus. Since the date of the Iowa caucuses fell in early January while colleges were out of session, Alec's chapter organized carpools from around the country to help students originally from out of the state return to caucus. Despite the date of the caucuses, Iowa's youth voter turnout tripled over 2004's caucuses and for the first time matched the number of seniors that caucused on January 3. After success with both his chapter and the Iowa state federation, Alec was appointed Heartland Regional Director on the CDA National Council. Now, as Vice President of the College Democrats of America, Alec is committed to strengthening the relationship between the national federation and its local chapters by putting national resources directly into the hands of local activists. A political science major at Grinnell, Alec has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Des Moines Register, The Atlantic Monthly and other media outlets.
CDA Political Affairs Director and Panel Moderator Jen JohnsJen is a graduate The Ohio State University and a current graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Stow, Ohio, she gained her initial political experience in Northeast Ohio working with both the John Kerry Presidential Campaign and Portage County Democratic Party. Jen previously served as a two-term President of the Ohio College Democrats, where she was essential in the planning of the 2006 Turn Around Ohio Invasion which brought in over 80 College Dems from 10 different states the weekend before the election. As President of OCD she planned the first-ever regional meetings in the state, and helped develop a plan to create 100 chapters by the 2008 election. Under her leadership, Ohio won State Federation of the Year at the 2007 CDA National Convention. She also served as the youngest-ever appointed member to the Ohio Democratic Party's Executive Committee, receiving her appointment at the age of 19. Jen also served two terms as National Women's Caucus Chair for the College Democrats of America and was responsible for creating and implementing CDA's first national issue-based campaign, the ABCs of HPV, using the first ever state representative system in a CDA caucus. She also served as National Council Vice Chair, helping to create the state federation data system that was used for the 2008 election cycle. In addition to her experience with CDA, Jen has interned with Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, the Ohio House of Representatives, and the AFL-CIO. She currently interns with Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.