America Rising LLC
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(page updated Feb. 20, 2015)


"A New Generation Of Republican Research And Rapid Response"  ...super PAC and LLC (for-profit) organizations.

Matt Rhoades

Campaign manager at Romney for President, Inc.; executive director of Romney's Free and Strong America PAC, announced Feb. 15, 2010.  A vice president with DCI Group, May 2007-Feb. 2010.  Communications director on Romney's presidential campaign, Jan. 2007-March 2008.  A deputy communications director in charge of research for the RNC during the 2006 election cycle. Research director for the 2004 Bush/Cheney re-election campaign.  Deputy research director at the RNC, 2003-04.  White House Liaison at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in the Bush Administration, and earlier an Associate Director in the White House Presidential Personnel Office.  B.A. from Syracuse University, 1997; and an M.A. from The George Washington University, 1999.


President  Joe Pounder

Research director and deputy director of communications at the RNC in the 2012 election cycle, announced May 16, 2011.  Communications director in the office of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.  Deputy campaign manager for Rubio’s successful 2010 bid for the Senate.  Director of rapid response on Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and earlier on Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential primary campaign.  Deputy research director for the California Republican Party, 2006.  Deputy Associate Director of the White House Office of Communications in the George W. Bush Administration.  Attended The George Washington University.  twitter


Managing Director  Raj Shah

(April 2013)  Deputy research director at the RNC from Jan. 2012.  Research/communications consultant, 2010-11.  In the 2010 cycle Shah did research on the Carly for California campaign, very briefly was communications director on the Martinez for Governor campaign in New Mexico, and was communications director on Simmons for Senate in Connecticut.  Senior public policy specialist at Akin Gump.  Senior research analyst at the RNC in 2007-09.  Director of vetting on John McCain 2008 in 2007.  A research assistant at the White House, early 2007.  Junior research analyst at the RNC in 2006.  B.A. in government from Cornell University, 2006.


Executive Director  Colin Reed

(announced Feb. 20, 2015)  Campaign manager on former Sen. Scott Brown's 2014 challenge to U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire.  Deputy communications director for Gov. Chris Christi, March 2013-April 2014.  Communications director at Scott Brown for Senate in Mass, Sept. 2011-Nov. 2012.  Press secretary to Sen. Scott Brown, Feb. 2010-Sept. 2011.  Deputy press secretary at the NRSC, Jan. 2009-April 2010.  Rapid response director for vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin on the McCain campaign, Aug.-Nov. 2008.  Research analyst at Freedom's Watch, April-Aug. 2008.  War room deputy on Romney for President, Jan. 2007-Feb. 2008.  Press office assistant in the Office of Gov. Mitt Romney, Nov. 2006-Jan. 2007.  B.A. in journalism and mass communication from UNC Chapel Hill.  Massachusetts native.  twitter


Vice President of Special Projects  Geoff Embler

(May 2013)  Director of strategic initiatives (from 2011) and senior communications advisor (2010) at the NRCC.  Director of legislative research to House Republican Leader John Boehner, 2008-10.  Team owner in the Cobra Kal Football League, 2007-10.  Press secretary to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, 2007.  Press secretary at the House Republican Conference, 2006-07.  Press secretary to Rep. Eric Cantor, 2004-06.  Communications director on Jim DeMint for Senate in Fall 2004.  Press secretary to Rep. George Radanovich, 2003-04.  Public affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, 2001-02.  Research analyst at the NRSC, 1998-2001.  B.A. in political science from Clemson University.


Vice President  Alexandra Angel

(July 2013)  Account executive at DCI Group, Jan. 2011-July 2013.  Senior research analyst at the RNC, Aug.-Dec. 2010.  Deputy operations director on Steve Poizner for Governor (CA), Dec. 2009-July 2010.  Program instructor at Close Up Foundation, Jan.-June 2009.  Research analyst at the RNC, June-Dec. 2008.  M.P.A. from The George Washington University, 2013; B.A. in politics from New York University, 2008.


Vice President  Amanda Iovino

(August 2013)  Project director at Public Opinion Strategies, Feb. 2012-Aug. 2013.  Senior research analyst (campaign finance) at the RNC, Marcch 2010-Feb. 2012.  Campaign finance analyst at the Federal Election Commission, June 2008-March 2010.  Intern on the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Campaign.  M.A. in applied economics from The Johns Hopkins University, 2011; B.A. in political science, economics from Vanderbilt University, 2008.


Finance Director  Mackenzie Jortner

(July 2013)  South and Texas regional finance director on Romney for President from April 2012.  Program coordinator for Regents and Team 100 at the RNC, May-Aug. 2011.  Director of resource development at LVH Consulting, Feb.-May 2011.  Associate at The McIntosh Company, Sept. 2009-Feb. 2011.  B.A. in English from Sewanee-The University of the South, 2009.


War Room Director  Julia Cotrone

(Sept. 2013)  Deputy war room director at Romney for President, July 2011-Nov. 2012.  Bachelor's degree in political science and government from Catholic University of America, 2011.

War Room Anaylsts - Nick Zanetti (Nov. 2013), Cameron Cawthorne (March 2014), Shawn Pasternak (July 2014)


Tracking Director  Aaron Baer

(Dec. 2013)  Rapid response director and research director at Cuccinelli for Governor, April-Nov. 2013.  Deputy director of communications for Gov. Bobby Jindal, Nov. 2011-Feb. 2013.; communications director on Bobby Jindal's 2011 campaign.  Communications director at the REpublican Party of Louisiana, April 2008-June 2011.  War room director on Romney for President, Inc., Jan. 2007-Feb. 2008.  Repbulican operations center director at the RNC, Jan. 2005-Dec. 2006.   Communications assistant on the PIC, and communications intern on Bush Cheney '04.  B.A. in political science and government from Southwestern University, 2004.


Research Analysts include Matthew Vollenweider (April 2013)

Graphic Designer  Sara Aberle

(Jan. 2014)  A.A. in graphic and web design from Art Institute of Washington-Dulles, 2013.


America Rising PAC
Communications DIrector  Jeff Bechdel

(April 2014)  Account director Revolution Agency, April 2013-April 2014.  Florida communications director at Romney for President, July-Nov. 2012.  Deputy communications director on Friends of Connie Mack, Jan.-June 2012.  Press secretary to Rep. Mack from July 2011-Jan. 2012.  Communications assistant to Sen. Marco Rubio, Jan.-July 2011.  Deputy director of rapid response on Texans for Kay Bailey Hutchison, June 2009-March 2010.  Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications from University of Texas at Austin, 2009.  Originally from Beaver, PA (Pittsburgh area).


Notes: 
As of Sept. 2014, America Rising has 67 employees according to:
Rebecca Balhaus.  "New Players Flooding into Opposition Research."  The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 24, 2014.

As of mid-Feb. 2014, America Rising has "more than 55 full- and part-time employees" according to:
Noah Bierman.  "GOP adds for-profit muscle to the fray."  The Boston Globe, Feb. 14, 2014.



former

Executive Director  Tim Miller   ...to senior advisor to Jeb Bush at Right to Rise PAC

(March 2013 to Feb. 2015)  Deputy communications director at the RNC from March 2012.  Press secretary on Jon Huntsman's presidential campaign.  Lead digital communications strategist in the Public Affairs division at the Glover Park Group, from July 2009.  Communications strategist at Berman and Company, 2007-09.  Iowa communications director for John McCain, 2006-mid-2007.  Communications director on Jeff Lamberti for Congress, 2006.  Political director on Bill Dix for Congress, 2005-06.  Field on Jerry Kilgore for Governor, 2005.  B.A. in political science from The George Washington University, 2004.  twitter

Vice President of Strategic Communications  Ted Kwong   ...to Hawaii Republican Party communications advisor

(May 2013 to Aug. 2014)  Regional press secretary at the RNC from May 2012.  Deputy press secretary at the NRCC, Jan. 2011-May 2012.  Rapid response director on Susana Martinez for Governor, Aug.-Nov. 2010.  War room manager on Steve Poizner for Governor (CA), June 2009-June 2010.  War room intern on the McCain presidential campaign, June-Nov. 2008.  B.A. in political science from UC Berkeley, 2009, after starting out at UC Davis.