Organization  |  RICK SANTORUM page  

Santorum for President

(page updated January 31, 2016)

announced May 27, 2015.
Headquarters:
see also:
pre-campaign organization
  |  pro-Santorum super PAC


Senior Advisor and Media Consultant  John Brabender

Chief creative officer at BrabenderCox, which has worked on over 200 campaigns; this grew out of the direct marketing firm Brabender and James Cox founded in Erie, PA in 1982.  Brabender has served as Santorum's media consultant since his first race for Congress in 1990.  He was also part of Rudy Giuliani's media team in 2007-08.  Before direct marketing he was a management trainee at Uarco Inc.  B.S. in marketing from Gannon University; M.B.A. from Cleveland State University.  Originally from Erie, PA.  twitter

Former Campaign Manager  Terry Allen

(moved over to the super PAC in Aug. 2015)  Previously national field director and senior advisor to Patriot Voices PAC, announced March 2, 2015.  Founder (2006) and president of Fidelis Government Relations.  in 2012 Allen was an advisor on Santorum's victory in the Oklahoma Republican primary.  Partner at one of Washington, DC's top lobbying firms for six years.  Chief of staff to Congressman Steve Largent (R-OK), Dec. 1994-July 2000.  Executive director of the Resource Institute of Oklahoma, 1990-94.  Policy analyst with the Republican Study Committee, 1988-90.  B.A. in communications from Oral Roberts University, 1986. 

POLITICAL AND FIELD


National Political Director  Jessica Colόn

Started with Santorum as national political director for Patriot Voices PAC.  Principal and founder (2009) of Colόn and Company, a firm focused on political consulting, message strategy, fundraising initiatives and public affairs.  Served as Texas state director and as a member of the national finance team for Santorum for President during the 2012 Republican primaries.  In 2010 Colón led the convention campaign for Steve Munisteri for chairman of the Republican Party of Texas and she also ran his 2012 re-election campaign.  Managed Joan Huffman’s race for Texas State Senate, District 17 in 2008.  Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation, 2007-09.  Founded a group called Fix Our Future in 2005.  Prior to starting Colόn and Company, she worked for Hines, a global real estate firm from 2002-08, finishing as senior manager for corporate marketing.  Campaign manager on Tom Reiser for Congress  2002.  Producer and production manager, 1999-2001.  Production coordinator/assistant at Stevens Reed Curcio & Company, 1998.  B.A. in political science from the University of Florida, 1997.  Houston resident.  twitter


FINANCE

Finance Director  Rob Bickhart

(announced Jan. 20, 2015 as finance director for Patriot Voices PAC)  Chairman and CEO of the Capitol Resource Group, a Pennsylvania-based business consulting firm from Jan. 1999.  Has known and worked with Santorum for over 30 years.  Public strategies at Cozen O'Connor, 2010-Dec. 2012.  Bickhart served as finance director at the RNC for about a year, May 2009-May 2010, when he was forced to resign.  Finance chairman/state director to Sen. Rick Santorum (PA) from 1994-2007.  AGM public and government affairs at SEPTA, 1996-98.  Deputy director of finance at the NRCC, 1983-86.  Served in the Labor Department during the Reagan Administration as Assistant to the Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, and on the staffs of former Sens. Hugh Scott (R-PA), Robert Griffin (R-MI) and John Warner (R-VA). M.B.A. from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, MO, 1992; undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University, 1978.


Senior Advisor for Finance  Roy Jones

(announced Jan. 20, 2015)  Over 30 years of national fundraising and development experience in both the political and non-profit arenas.  Speaker, trainer and author on fundraising www.RoyjonesReports.com.  Development advisor/account director at the Russ Reid Agency, the largest fundraising agency in the world serving non-profit organizations, 2010-12.  Chief development officer for Liberty University, 2005-09. Vice president of business development at U.S.A. Direct, 1993-2003.  Worked for President George H.W. Bush and on the staff of the Bush-Quayle campaign team.  Coalition director at the NRSC, 1986-89.  Military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, 1978-84.  M.A. in human relations-business leadership from Liberty University, 2009.


National Finance Committee

(announced July 21, 2015)


COMMUNICATIONS

Communications Director  Matt Beynon

Spokesman for Santorum since his 2012 campaign.  Managing partner of Madison Strategic Ventures in Arlington, VA.  Deputy communications director on the Santorum for President campaign; an advisor for Santorum's America's Foundation PAC from March 2010.  Worked as a consultant at Urish Popeck & Co. starting in June 2008.  Assistant to Sen. Santorum at Eckert Seamans, 2007-08.  Legislative correspondent for Sen. Santorum, Feb. 2004-Jan. 2007.  M.A. in political science from American University, 2005.  B.A. in political science and economics from Gettysburg College, 2003.  twitter

Digital Strategy Director  Ian Patrick Hines

(announced Sept. 19, 2015)  President and founder (Feb. 2015) of The Beag Co. in Severna Park, MD.  Certified NationBuilder expert and architect ("one of the world's foremost NationBuilder experts").  Tech organizer for NationBuilder, Nov. 2012-Nov. 2013.  Founder and principal at Blamify, Aug.-Nov. 2012.  Director of communications for the Maryland Department of Human Resources, Aug. 2011-July 2012.  Communications and maketing manager for the Maryland Energy Administraiton, Sept. 2010-July 2011.  Neighborhood liaison for the Office of the Mayor in Baltimore, Sept. 2008-Feb. 2010.  Public school teacher in Baltimore, June 2007-June 2008.  Experience includes field volunter on the O'Malley/Brown campaign, Sept.-Nov. 2008 and Generation Dean blog manager for Dean for America, Sept. 2003-Feb. 2004.  M.P.A. from University of Baltimore, 2011; M.A. in teaching from The Johns Hopkins University, 2008; B.A. from McDaniel College, 2007.

Digital Media Advisor  Megan Howie

(announced Sept. 19, 2015)  Experience includes director of AOL Jobs.

Grassroots Communications Director  Melissa Young

(Aug. 2015; announced Sept. 19, 2015)  Owner at Strategy Communications, LLC in Columbia, SC.  Worked for Santorum when he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and in his U.S. Senate office.  M.P.S. in strategic public relations from The George Washington University, 2014; B.A. in government, speech communication from University of South Carolina-Columbia, 1994.


MORE

Scheduler  Nancy Garver

(began working with Santorum in Jan. 1990 as his scheduler for his first U.S. House race and continued during his two terms in the House and 12 years in the U.S. Senate as well as a scheduler for the Rick Santorum for President campaign.  B.A. from Temple University.



IOWA
 @teamsantorumia

Headquarters: 2775 86th St., Urbandale  ...announced Oct. 14, 2015 +
Former: 2041 Grand Ave., Suite A, West Des Moines   ...opening date uncertain; was operating as of July 12, 2015.      

Chair  State Rep. Walt Rogers

(announced March 16, 2015)  First elected to the Iowa House in 2010 defeating an incumbent Democrat; represents District 60, Cedar Falls;  elected as an assistant Majority Leader in his freshman term.  Candidate for the 1st CD Republican nomination, but withdrew in Feb. 2014.  Leadership consultant.  Also has experience as a concert/event planner, including founding and directing Onefest, one of the largest indoor musical festivals in the Midwest.  Bachelor's degree in technology from University of Norther Iowa, 1984.  (Note Rogers also endorsed Santorum in 2011 +twitter

Co-Chair and Polk County Field Rep.  Patti Brown

Director of the Iowa Policy Institute, LLC.  Has worked in medical, mental health and hospice social work settings with patients of all age groups.  Has also worked as a staff writer, correspondent and columnist for several publications, including The Des Moines Register and The Catholic Mirror.  M.S. in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University, M.S.W. from the University of Iowa; working towards a Ph.D. at Iowa State University concentrating on the rhetoric of politics and policy.  twitter

Iowa Senior Advisor  Cody M. Brown

(announced July 6, 2015)  Currently founder and principal at Codias, an organizational design company.  Iowa state director on Santorum's 2011-12 Iowa caucus campaign.  Managed Ben Lange's 2010 congressional campaign in CD-1.  Senior counsel and chief of legal research for the Project on National Security Reform.  Legislative counsel for a member of the House Homeland Security Committee.  Majority staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.  B.S. from Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN, J.D. from Hamline University Law School, and LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center.  Author of The National Security Council: A Legal History of the President’s Most Powerful Advisers.

National Caucus Coalitions Advisor  Karen Fesler

(announced Aug. 31, 2015)  Iowa co-chair on former Gov. Rick Perry's campaign for about a month (announced July 9, 2015).  Served on the Iowa 2nd District Republican Executive Committee, including as chair from 2014-15.  In 2011-12 Fesler was a member of the Santorum for President Iowa Steering Committee and later served as the campaign's Missouri state director.

Iowa Coalitions Director  Kim Lehman

(announced Oct. 15, 2015)  Promotions and underwriting manager for Iowa Catholic Radio from June 2014.  Account executive at Clear Channel Radio (WHO News Radio 1040), May 2013-June 2014.  Served one term as RNC committeewoman through 2012.  President and director of Iowa Right to Life Committee, Dec. 2000-Feb. 2010.

Operations and Advance Director  Steve Munoz

(announced Oct. 29, 2015)  Munoz ran Santorum's 2011 Straw Poll effort (announced July 15, 2011), then served as SC political director, then came back to Iowa for the closing part of the campaign.  Graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, SC, 2011; president of the class of 2011.  Executive assistant on Stovall Witte for Congress in the June 2010 primary in SC's 1st CD.  Statewide coordinator for the Gresham Barrett for Governor campaign in South Carolina in summer 2009.  National director of Students for Mitt in the 2008 cycle. 

Field Representatives (announced Oct. 29, 2015) 
Polk County  Patti Brown

see above

Northeast Iowa  Jane Jech

Republican nominee for state representative in District 71 in 2014.  Republican nominee for state Senator in District 22 in 2012.  Experience includes working as a substitute teacher for the Marshalltown School District.  B.S. in music education from Iowa State University.

Northwest Iowa  Bob Algard

Operations director at Chick-fil-A in Charleston, SC, June 2014-Sept. 2015.  B.S./B.A. in business manager from The Citadel, 2014; president of The Citadel class of 2014.

Southwest Iowa  Connor Stokes

Most recently a regional development rep. and sales manager in St. Louis.  Graduate of The Citadel.  Native of the Omaha/Council Bluffs area.

Southeast Iowa  Scott Thomas

      ...

Former State Coordinator  Jon Jones 

(moved over to the PAC in Aug. 2015)  Owner of Mercy's Hope, a ministry that seeks to "share God’s love with the orphaned and the underprivileged of Ukraine."  twitter

Endorsements include
State Rep. Dean Fisher (District 72, Garwin) (Jan. 15, 2016 tweet)


NEW HAMPSHIRE

Senior Advisor  Nick Pappas

(announced Aug. 11, 2015)  Senior partner of REACH Communications and owner of Red Road Strategies, consulting firms based in Manchester (since July 2012).  State director of Generation Opportunity from May 2012.  A charter commissioner for the City of Manchester, Nov. 2012-Nov. 2014.  Deputy national political director and earlier New Hampshire field director on Rick Santorum for President, May 2011-May 2012.  Hillsborough County field director with the New Hampshire State Republican Party.  Vice president of operations and marketing for The Lobster Zone, June 2007-June 2011. Manchester native.  twitter

Endorsements

(announced Oct. 6, 2015)
Co-Chair  Carem Bennett - social conservative activist from Bedford.
Co-Chair  State Rep. Glenn Cordelli (Tuftonboro) - in his second term in the House.
State Rep. Kurt Wuelper (Strafford) - former president of New Hamsphire Right to Life.



SOUTH CAROLINA
 @teamsantorumsc      

State Director  Jon Parker

(announced March 19, 2015; CNN's Alexandra Jaffe reported on Jan. 29, 2015 that Parker "confirmed to CNN he plans to head up the South Carolina operation for Patriot Voices")  Consultant at Richard Quinn and Associates; in 2014, Parker directed the SC election efforts of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman, and Treasurer Curtis Loftis.  Directed Santorum's campaign in the March 6, 2012 primary in Tennessee.  Managing partner at Innovative Campaign Strategies from Jan. 2011.  twitter

South Carolina supporters include:
(from July 21, 2015 press release on National Finance Committee)
Curtis Bostic (Charleston, SC)
James and Robin D'Alessio (Elgin, SC)
Jerry Dempsey (Greenville, SC)
Eddie Taylor (Charleston, SC)


MORE STATES
PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania Honorary Chairman  State Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman

(announced Feb. 19, 2015)


Endorsements
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (PA-11) [Eastern PA along the Susquehanna River] (announced June 2, 2015)

Legislative Leaders (announced July 14, 2015)
Pennsylvania State Senate:
Majority Leader - Jake Corman
Republican Caucus Chairman - Bob Mensch
Republican Caucus Secretary - Richard Alloway
Appropriations Committee Chairman - Pat Browne
Republican Policy Committee Chairman - David Argall

Pennsylvania State House:
Speaker of the House - Mike Turzai
Majority Leader - Dave Reed
Majority Whip - Bryan Cutler
Republican Caucus Chairman - Sandra Major
Republican Caucus Secretary - Donna Oberlander
Republican Caucus Administrator - Brian Ellis
Republican Policy Committee Chairman - Kerry Benninghof




some of these folks from Patriot Voices may have signed on with the campaign or super PAC....

National Grassroots Director  Shelly Ahlersmeyer

National grassroots goordinator on the Rick Santorum for President campaign.  Previously served as a national coordinator for HUCK PAC.  Resident of Kosciusko County, IN.  twitter

Deputy Grassroots Director  Jenifer Lee

Connecticut state coordinator for Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign; field director for Brian K. Hill for U.S. Senate and also for Christopher Coutu for State Senate.  Resident of Southeastern CT; with her husband co-owns and independent hardware store.  twitter

Deputy Grassroots Director  Cari Pemberton

Active in the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.  Director of outreach and training for Family Manager Coaching in 2009. Launched The Clutter Cutters in 1998.  Degree in organizational management from Colorado Christian University.  Resident of Colorado Springs, CO.  twitter

Membership Coordinator  Angela Moore

Involved in ministry as a church planter with her husband.  Indiana state coordinator and assistant to the national grassroots coordinator on Rick Santorum for President.  Communications director to Henry County Councilman Clay Morgan during the 2012 election.  Worked in the banking industry and has a degree in finance.  Originally from Illinois.  Lives near Indianapolis, IN.  twitter

Administrative Assistant to Karen Santorum  Jennifer Morano

Administrative assistant on the Rick Santorum for President campaign, Feb.-April 2012.  Stay at home mom.  Office manager/assistant to the chief of staff at the Senate Republican Conference (SRC) when Sen. Santorum was chairman, 2001-02; staff assistant/scheduler to Sen. Santorum, 1996-2001.  Previously a second grade teacher in Gallup, NM.  Graduated from Franciscan University in Ohio.  Grew up in Devon, PA.



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