Ben
Carson
Organization—Pre-Campaign
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(page
updated and corrected April 26, 2015)
Carson
America Exploratory
Committee.
[www.bencarson.com/explore/
|
@realbencarson]
formed March 2, 2015.
Chairman Terry Giles
(in line to be chairman of campaign from Aug. 2014) A longtime friend of Carson, Giles is a Houston businessman and retired lawyer. He is owner, chairman and president of Giles Enterprises, a private holding company, since 2000. Chair and director of Landmark Education Corporation, 2000-05. Owner of GWE, LLC. Principal at Giles & O'Malley in Houston. Served in the U.S. Army, 1970-76. Law degree from Pepperdine; B.A. from Cal State Fullerton, attended on a debate scholarship. Grew up in St. Louis, MO and attended 21 schools in ten years.
Campaign Manager Barry Bennett
(reported by the Columbus
Dispatch
on March 4, 2015) Longtime advisor to Sen. Rob Portman; just a
couple of weeks earlier in Feb. 2015 Bennett was reported as campaign
manager for the Fighting for Ohio Fund, a super PAC formed to boost
Portman's 2016 re-election campaign. A leader of the Alliance for
America's Future, a group that was active in 2010 races. Chief of
staff to U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH) Sept. 2005 to 2010. Media
consultant in Washington, DC. Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Frank
Cremeans (OH). Communications director on Lt. Gov. Mike DeWine's
1994 campaign for U.S. Senate. Communications on Rob Portman's
election to Congress in the 1993 special election. twitter
Deputy Campaign Manager Stephen C. Rubino
Thirty-year career as a trial lawyer; Rubino has
concentrated his practice primarily in clergy sexual abuse and
childhood sexual abuse litigation (since 1988), and served as chairman
of the American Trial Lawyers Association Litigation Group for
Childhood Sexual Abuse from 1993-2010. His law practice is based in
Margate, New Jersey. President and CEO of The Estate of Martin
Luther King Jr. Inc., 2010-13. J.D. from Catholic University's
Columbus School of Law; B.S. from Mount St. Mary's College.
Senior Strategist Ed Brookover
(reported by various outlets on March 3, 2015)
Chairman of Greener
and
Hook’s
political practice, has over 30 years experience in campaign
politics. Political director for the NRCC from 1995-99.
Political director for the NRSC during the 1988 campaign cycle.
National field director for the RNC in the 1986 cycle serving under
then RNC political director Bill Greener. twitter
Communications Director Doug Watts
(reported by various outlets on March 3, 2015...press,
advertising and social media)
President of Urban
Media Group, LLC since April 2004. President of North/South
America market development for Clear Channel AdShel, April 1999-April
2004. President of North American operations for Wall City
Design, Sept. 1996-April 1999. Senior vice president for asset
development at Gannett Outdoor, Sept. 1993-July 1996. Partner at
RussoWatts&Rollins, Jan. 1976-April 1988. Advertising
director on Reagan-Bush 84. Communications director on George
Deukmejian for governor in California, 1982. B.A. in political
science from
University of Arizona, 1972.
Press Secretary Deana Bass
Principal/managing partner at Bass Public Affairs in
Alexandria, VA
from 2005. Co-founder of Bond Girl|Books. Deputy director
of coalitions at the RNC Jan. 2005-April 2006. Executive director
of The Gloucester Institute, 2005-06. Director of coalitions at
the House Republican Conference, April 2003-Jan. 2005. MFA in
film production from Ohio University, 1999; B.A. in communications and
international relations from Salem College, 1995. twitter
Senior Advisor/Grassroots Fundraising Mike
Murray
(formally reported mid-Feb. 2015...grassroots fundraising) President and CEO of TMA Direct and the managing partner of Precision Data Management, both headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Founder (2010) of American Legacy PAC [Carson is chairman of the PAC's Save Our Healthcare project since 2014]. Has provided "digital and data marketing services by numerous US Presidential candidates including: Speaker Newt Gingrich, Governor Tim Pawlenty, Senator Fred Thompson, Mayor Rudi Giuliani [sic], businessman Herman Cain, and Governor Mitt Romney. Mike also manages direct marketing efforts on behalf of the National Rifle Association of America, Citizens United, the College Republican National Committee, National Review and The Washington Times." Finance degree from George Mason University School of Business. twitter
National Finance Chairman Jeff Reeter
Managing partner at Northwestern Mutual in
Houston since 2002;
appointed managing partner in Dallas in 1996; joined Northwestern
Mutual Financial Network in Dallas in 1984. graduated from
Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business in 1984.
National Finance Director Amy Pass
(reported Feb. 23, 2015 by The Daily Caller's
Alex Pappas) President of The Pass Group, LLC in Nashville, TN
from 2015. National finance director at Newt 2012 from Aug.
2011. Director of major gifts at American Solutions,
2007-11. Director of planning in the Office of Speaker Newt
Gingrich, 2002-07. Degree in business administration from
University of Georgia, 2002.
Advance Mike Nason
Executive producer of New Life Live, a one hour daily
radio show, since
June 2010. Owner of The Nason Group, a strategic media relations
company in Orange County, CA, since Jan. 1990. Executive producer
of "Hour of Power," 1972-90. twitter
Treasurer Logan D. Delany Jr.
(in line to be CFO of the
campaign) President of Delany Capital Management Corp., a private
equity firm, since 1986. First vice president in the merger and
acquisition group at Drexel Burnham Lambert Incorporated. Former
chairman of Howard Industries, Inc., 7-Up Bottling Company of St. Louis
and Graham Industries. Former director of Grant Industries, Inc.
Studied economics at Oxford University; J.D. from Harvard Law School;
A.B. in economics from Harvard College.
General Counsel Kathy Freberg
Attorney based in Irvine, CA.
State Director Ryan Rhodes
(reported by The Iowa Republican, Jan. 16,
2015) Grassroots
director for Sec. of State Matt Schultz in his 2014 Republican primary
campaign in Iowa's 3rd
CD. Tea Party outreach director on Michele Bachmann's Iowa caucus
campaign (announced Dec. 1, 2011). Founder and co-chairman of the
Iowa
Tea
Party. Political director for Dave Funk in his 2010
Republican primary campaign in Iowa's 3rd CD, and was a consultant for
the Iowa
Senate Republican Fund on six
campaigns during
2010. Worked at a Chrysler dealership. Candidate for
Iowa House in District 45 in 2008, while a student, losing to Beth
Wessel-Kroeschell (D) by 58.2% to 41.8%. Graduate of Iowa State
University. Iowa native.
Co-Chairs
(announced
late
March 2015...previously served as Iowa co-chairs of the independent
draft effort)
State Rep. Rob Taylor (R-West Des
Moines)
- Elected to the Iowa House
of Representatives in 2012 representing District 44; considered running
for Congress or Sec. of State in 2014 but decided against. Sales
director for a small business in central Iowa, a consultant and trainer
for the automotive industry, and a diesel and bio-fuel
specialist. Masters degree in business leadership from William
Penn
University; B.S. from Upper Iowa
University; A.A. degree from Des Moines Area Community College in
Ankeny. Born and raised in Des Moines.
Dr. Christi Taylor - An
internist with the Iowa
Clinic. Immediate past chair of the Dallas County Republican
Party.
State Director Ruth Sherlock
(reported by Time's Tessa Berenson on Feb. 12, 2015) (early Nov. 2011) Partner at Sherlock and Gaines Consulting Group of Greenville and principal at Sherlock & Associates. Deputy South Carolina director on Newt 2012 from Nov. 2011, then national deputy political director. Campaign manager/chief of staff at Joseph Cao for Congress and for Congressman Cao, 2008. Marketing director at BE&K Government Group, 2006-07. Vice president of marketing at Mpower Systems Public Policy Group, 2003. Regional finance director/national field finance director at the RNC, 2000-02. Partner and COO at The Palladian Group, 2001. Community relations for Greenville Hospital System, 1998-99. Finance director for the SC House Republican Caucus, 1998-99. Campaign manager on Clyborne for Congress, 1997-98. Finance director on Robin Hayes for Governor, 1996. Incumbent field representative for the NRCC, 1995-96. Contract labor for Sen. Paul Coverdell, 1993-94. Special assistant at the U.S. Department of Energy, 1989-93. BBA in marketing from Texas A&M University, 1983.
See:
Press Release: "Over
$2
Million
in
Grassroots
Support
Contributed to Neurosurgeon Dr. Ben
Carson’s Presidential Exploratory Committee," April 6.
Reid J. Epstein. "Ben Carson Creates Committee
to Explore Presidential Bid." The Wall Street Journal, March
2, 2015
Eliana Johnson.
"Carson Gets Ready." National Review, Dec. 3, 2014:
Correction March 24, 2015: Jim Dornan not national field director.
USA First PAC
formed Aug. 26, 2014 (FEC).
Silver Spring, MD
Chairman Terry Giles
(in line to be chairman of campaign from Aug.
2014) Longtime friend of Carson, Giles is a Houston businessman
and retired lawyer. He is owner, chairman and president of Giles
Enterprises, a private holding company, since 2000. Chair and
director of Landmark Education Corporation, 2000-05. Owner of
GWE, LLC. Principal at Giles & O'Malley in Houston.
Served in the U.S. Army, 1970-76. Law degree from Pepperdine;
B.A. from Cal State Fullerton, attended on a debate scholarship.
Grew up in St. Louis, MO and attended 21 schools in ten years.
Treasurer Logan D. Delany Jr.
(in line to be CFO of the
campaign) President of Delany Capital Management Corp., a private
equity firm, since 1986. First vice president in the merger and
acquisition group at Drexel Burnham Lambert Incorporated. Former
chairman of Howard Industries, Inc., 7-Up Bottling Company of St. Louis
and Graham Industries. Former director of Grant Industries, Inc.
Studied economics at Oxford University; J.D. from Harvard Law School;
A.B. in economics from Harvard College.
Member of the Board Mike Murray
President and CEO of TMA
Direct
and the managing partner of Precision Data Management, both
headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Founder (2010) of American
Legacy
PAC [Carson is chairman of the PAC's Save Our Healthcare project since
2014]. Has provided "digital and data marketing services by
numerous
US Presidential candidates including: Speaker Newt Gingrich, Governor
Tim Pawlenty, Senator Fred Thompson, Mayor Rudi Giuliani [sic],
businessman
Herman Cain, and Governor Mitt Romney. Mike also manages direct
marketing efforts on behalf of the National Rifle Association of
America, Citizens United, the College Republican National Committee,
National Review and The Washington Times." Finance degree from
George Mason University School of Business. twitter
Consultant Adrian Gray
President of Adrian Gray Consulting LLC in Bedford, NY
since 2013. Vice president of Clear Harbor Asset Management, LLC,
2011-13. Co-founder ant president of Network Relations, a data
and analytics firm in NY, 2006-11. Director of strategy at the
RNC, 2005-06. National director of voter contact for Bush-Cheney
2004. Deputy director in the Executive Office of the President at
The White House, 2001-03. Regional political coordinator on
Bush-Cheney 2000, 1999-2000. M.B.A. from NYU Leonard N. Stern
School of Business; bachelor's degree in political science and
government from Skidmore College.