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DFA Campaign Academy Agenda

Training Presenters

Matt Blizek - Training Director – Field, Planning & Online Organizing

Matt was born and raised in rural Iowa and first got involved in politics at the University of Iowa.  In 2001 he managed my first campaign in an attempt to elect a UI student to the Iowa City Council.  Not long after he was elected Vice-President of the student body where he fought against radical tuition hikes, corrupt apartment management companies and police harassment on campus.

After graduation Matt spent the 2004 election cycle fundraising for the DNC and doing GOTV for MoveOn.org.  In 2006 he was selected to join Russ Feingold’s Patriot Corps program and was deployed to Montana where he did Field Organizing for Senator Jon Tester.

For the last two years Matt have managed a national training program for Democratic activists and candidates at Democracy for America.  Since joining DFA he has organized over 56 campaign trainings in 31 states, training over 3,000 people to become better activists, campaign staff or candidates.

Ben Chao - Communications

Ben Chao has served as a hard-nosed strategist, media consultant and Democratic evangelist for over 300 races in 38 different states from California to New York since 1992.  In that time he has earned a reputation for taking on the toughest fights … and winning.  

Campaigns & Elections Magazine named him one of their "Rising Stars of Politics" in 1998.  One statewide Democratic official in South Carolina called him “our Lee Atwater”.  Conservative FoxNews Host Laura Ingraham said of Chao, “he’s like James Carville with hair”.  Chao’s work was recently featured on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on the same night he collected six Pollie Awards for his outstanding TV and radio commercials.

In addition to beating Republican incumbents in congressional and statewide campaigns, Chao is considered a top primary election specialist in the Democratic Party.  He earned his reputation after defeating an incumbent Democrat in a Democratic primary.  As Congressman Artur Davis’ top strategist and media consultant in all of his campaigns, he was the architect of the stunning victory over Earl Hilliard in 2002.

Chao served as Bill Richardson’s National Political Director in his presidential race in 2007/2008.  Chao led a paid staff of over 250 and created an extensive national political network in all 50 states for Governor Richardson.  Chao has also worked with corporate and issue campaigns for clients like the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church handling all public relations and media for Coretta Scott King’s funeral.  Other work includes work for the NAACP, Comcast, General Mills, Delta Airlines and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Jennifer S. Coken- Field

Jennifer is a 20-year veteran of developing and managing political and issue campaigns.   Jennifer Coken is currently the Director fo the Western Clean Energy Campaign for Western Resource Advocates (WRA).  Prior to coming to WRA in March 2007, Jennifer worked for Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Congressman Tony P. Hall, the National Parks Conservation Association, Main Street Colorado, the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. She founded Coken Consulting Company, a Washington, DC firm that provided campaign management services and strategic guidance for national and community-based organizations. In addition to her responsibilities at WRA, Jennifer the Chair of the Democratic Party of Denver - the largest single block of registered democrats in the state of Colorado.   Ms. Coken grew up in Cleveland and received her M.A. in Political Campaign Management from Kent State University.

Jay Parmley – Finance & Fundraising

Jay Parmley is the Executive Director of the South Carolina Democratic Party.  Parmley initially joined the staff of the South Carolina Democratic Party as part of former DNC Chairman Governor Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy.  From 2005-2008,  Parmley worked for the Democratic National Committee, first in Mississippi and then in South Carolina.    In 2001, at the age of 30, Parmley was the elected as the fulltime Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.  He served two terms and did not seek reelection in 2005.  At the time of his election he was the nation’s youngest chairman of a State Democratic Party. He is a past president of the Young Democrats of America, serving from 1999-2001. Parmley was appointed by Governor Dean as an At-Large member of the Democratic National Committee in 2005, and is a member of the DNC Budget and Finance Committee.

Charles James – Issue Advocacy

Charles James is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. At an early age Charles dedicated himself to public service and to the empowerment of working and disenfranchised families in America.  After graduating from the University of Alabama, Charles began developing and continues to grow a wealth of experience in political fundraising, issue-advocacy, project management, event-planning, business development and non-profit development. Prior to his foray into public service, Charles worked as an Account Executive/Special Events Team member for Radio Disney and as an Account Executive for United Advertising Media.

Charles later completed the Campaign Management Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and has worked on municipal, state, and federal campaigns in a number of capacities including serving as the Finance Director for the Alabama Democratic Party.  

Martin Weinberg – Using Online Social Network

Martin Weinberg - Attorney and Political Activist. Martin graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S and from the University Alabama School of Law.  After graduating law school he worked several campaigns including a competitive Congressional Race in Illinois. Martin also spent time on Capitol Hill as a Legal Intern in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Martin owns and operates The Progressive Electorate blog and consults on local and Federal Campaigns across the country.  In his free time Martin likes to spend time with his wife, watching sports and is getting back into running.

Anastasia Apa – Call Time Fundraising

Anastasia Apa is a political management and fundraising consultant who has traveled the country for the past eight years to help Democrats build the strongest campaigns possible.  She has worked at the local, state and federal level in the Southern, Midwestern and Eastern part of the country. Apa focuses on fundraising and planning because she believes a solid plan and the money to implement it is the way to a win.  She is based in Miami, Florida and runs a campaign staffing network which trains, retains and places experienced campaign operatives on races.

Bradley Davidson – Using the Voter File

Linda Verin – Paid Media the Affordable Way