New Mexico Democratic Coordinated Campaign Field Organization

Albuquerque - 3301 Central Ave., NE

Deputy Field Director/CD 1 Regional Director Melanie Keene
Ran Kerry's field office in Wausau for the Wisconsin primary campaign.  Worked for Colorado State Rep. Anne McGihon and did a lot of volunteer work for the Denver Democrats.

Field Organizers
Near Heights, Nob Hill and University Area Meredith Dixon
Previously worked in Pittsburgh, PA for a grassroots membership organization working for increased US support for international treaties and institutions.  Has a masters degree in International Political Economy from the University of Pittsburgh.
 
Valencia County (just So. of Abq.) & East Mountains Eric Abeyta
Recent college graduate.  From Isleta Pueblo.   -also did some Native American Outreach.
 
North Valley (NW Abq.) Maria Chavez
New to campaigns; started as a volunteer.
 
Northeast Heights and Far Heights Jennifer Benoit
Volunteer.
 
 
Volunteer Coordinator/Special Projects Antonia ("Tonia") Davis
Came from New York where she was working in production.

Also
Regional Communications (last week plus)
Maria Westfried
Deputy Chief of Staff to San Jose (CA) Mayor Ron Gonzales since Aug. 2001.  During the Clinton Administration she held a number of positions including Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC); working in government relations at HUD; and director of the White House Intern Program in 1997-98.  She worked as a fundraiser for Mary Landrieu's 1995 campaign for governor in Louisiana.
Robert Hack
 
 

Las Cruces - 411 Water Street (the old bank building)

Southern Regional Field Director Art Terrazas
2nd CD field person on Kerry's NM Feb. 3 caucus campaign, then worked as Kerry's volunteer coordinator for the Feb. 24 Utah primary.  B.A. in Political science from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, 2003.  Field organizer, responsible for four counties, on Art Trujillo's 2002 campaign for Land Commissioner.  From Anthony, NM.
 
Deputy Director Steve Bruno
Started on the Kerry campaign in October 2003; ran the Carroll field office during the Iowa caucus campaign, worked for Kerry as a field staffer in New Mexico and in Minnesota, and did delegate tracking, specifically outreach and coordination with delegates from Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  M.P.A. from Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin, 2001.  Worked for Texas State Rep. Craig Eiland, 1998-2000.  Worked with AmeriCorps VISTA at Texas Action for Cooperative Housing in Houston, 1996-97.  Other experience includes finance staffer on one of John Sharp's campaigns for Texas Lt. Governor and project manager with Diana McIver & Associates in Austin.

Field Organizers
Grant, Luna, Hidalgo Counties Alejandro Rodriguez
(started in mid-August 2004)  Worked on the Democratic National Convention as Special Assistant to the Deputy Exec. Dir. of Outreach.  Bachelor's degree in Government from Harvard, 2003.  Native of El Paso, Texas.
 
Carlsbad, Chaves and Lea Counties Laura Binger
In mid-2003 moved from Minnesota to Idaho to work as an organizer for Stand for Children.  From Little Falls, MN.
 
Field and Vol. Coordination and Recruitment Nat Myers
(starting late Sept. 2004; for the last five weeks of the campaign)  Interned in the political department of the Kerry campaign in June-July, then on staff in the political department through late September working with Fran Lalas, and finally transferred to the DNC to be sent into the field.  Graduate of Harvard with a degree in International Relations, 2004.
 
Las Cruces/West End of Doña Ana County Linda Patterson
On leave from position as senior program assistant at the National Democratic Institute.  Has volunteered on a number of campaigns.  Prior to joining NDI in 2002 she worked for commentator Chris Matthews and for a political consulting firm.  Previously worked for a Los Angeles-based capital investment firm.  Graduate of the George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs.
 
Southern Doña Ana County/Organizing Volunteers in El Paso, Texas Jose Davila
CPA from Laredo.  Experience working on campaigns in Mexico.
 
 
Volunteer Coordinator Kelly-Marie Fay
Worked the Democratic National Convention.  Graduate of Trinity College.  From Wooster, Mass.
 
 
Women's Outreach Laura Peña

 
Hispanic Outreach Dr. Michael Casaus
Ph.D. in plant biology from Cornell University.
 
 
Paid Canvass Erik Martinez
Experience includes work for Burnside & Associates.
 
 
Advance Pilar Velazquez

 
Southern Press Secretary (Las Cruces) Erika Soto
(for the last month of the campaign)  Soto came to New Mexico from the DNC, where she was in charge of the Opportunity (Non-Battleground) regional press desk.  Before joining the DNC, Soto was a Press Aide for the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.  Prior to that served as a Press Secretary to California State Controller Steve Westly.  Soto is a 2002 graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in Political Science.

Also
Research: Chris Pipa (last week or two)-from the Research Department at the DNC.

Election Protection: Stephanie Valencia-experience includes work for Sen. Tom Daschle.
 
 
Southern GOTV Director Estelle Cordova
(for about the last three weeks of the campaign)  SEIU representative in Orange County, California.  Executive director of the New Mexico Democratic Party starting in Feb./March 2001.  Worked on the 2000 New Mexico Coordinated Campaign as Southern Regional Field Director; associated with Burnside & Associates.  Worked for Neighbor to Neighbor in Santa Fe; in New Mexico starting in 1998.  California native.
 
 

Santa Fe - 947 West Alameda

Northern Regional Field Director Isaac Reyes
Joined the government relation consulting firm of Austin Copelin & Reyes on Dec. 1, 2003.  Experience includes seven years on Capitol Hill as most recently as a policy advisor at the Senate Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) and legislative director for Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX).  B.A. in political science from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo.  Born and raised in California.
 
Deputy Director Eli Senna
Senna has worked in every congressional district in New Mexico.  Northern New Mexico field director on the Yes on 1 and 2 campaign for Gov. Richardson's constitutional amendments on education, 2003.  In 2002 he started doing consulting; particularly on local races in New Mexico; he also ran Cathy Belter's special election State Senate race in Virginia.  Worked on some races for Sue Burnside.  1st CD regional field director (Albuquerque) on the 2000 Coordinated Campaign.  Paid canvasser/opposition researcher on Phil Maloof's congressional campaign in the June 1998 special election.  Graduate of University of New Mexico with B.A. degrees in political science and communications, 2001.  Started volunteering on campaigns when hew was about 10 years old.  Native of Santa Fe.
 
Field Organizer - Santa Fe Mona Blaber
(Sept. 2004)  Communications director on Howard Dean's NM caucus (Feb. 3) campaign.  Field organizer on the 2003 Democratic congressional campaign of Carol Roberts in Florida.  Prior to this political activity, Blaber worked as a journalist including more than five years as a copy editor at The Santa Fe New Mexican.  She is originally from the Chicago area and moved to Santa Fe in 1997.  Blaber lives with her husband and three stepchildren in Eldorado.
 
Field Organizer - Santa Fe Carol Oldham
(started Oct. 1, 2004)  Oldham earned her MBA in Policy from the University of New Mexico just prior to the campaign.  She concentrated on Wildlife Policy and has worked as a biologist with two of the Northern New Mexico Pueblos as well as for the Forest Service.  Worked on Wall Street before coming to New Mexico for graduate school.  Organizing experience began with running a theater company in New York with her husband, Nejem Raheem.  B.A. in Theater from Bennington, 1993.
 
Field Organizer - Taos office (112 Alexander) Emily Kirby
(started in Aug. 2004)  Volunteered on Sen. Edwards' campaign in North Carolina, and has worked on many local campaigns in North Carolina.  From North Carolina.  Graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts with a degree in American studies.  ...Taos is about 70 miles or an hour and a half drive north of Santa Fe.
 
Field Organizer - Espanola office (209 North Riverside) Joshua Steinberger
(for the last month or so)  Steinberger had recently moved up to the Bay Area in California and wanted to get involved in the campaign before starting a new job; he found out about the opening in New Mexico through a connection with SEIU.  He had some campaign experience, notably as a field organizer in Seattle on the campaign against Initiative 747, a statewide tax reform proposal, in 2001.  Master's degree in urban planning from University of Southern California.  B.A. in environmental studies from U.C. Santa Cruz.  ...Espanola is in Rio Arriba County about 25 miles or a half hour drive north of Santa Fe, 45 miles south of Taos and 18 miles east of Los Alamos.
 
Field Organizer - Las Vegas office (158 Bridge Street) Cruz Flores
From Las Vegas, NM.  Succeeded Jacob Salazar.  ...Las Vegas is a town of 14,000-plus in San Miguel County about 68 miles or a bit more than an hour's drive to the west of Santa Fe out I-25.
 
 
Volunteer Coordinator Molly Fisher
(started in Aug. 2004)  Graduated from University of New Mexico in 2001 with a B.A. in journalism; has worked primarily in non-profits since that time.
 
 
Paid Canvass Pablo Duran
Staff assistant and constituent liaison to Congressman Tom Udall (NM-3) in his Washington, DC office; announced Nov. 2003.  B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of New Mexico, 2003.  Resident of Rio Rancho; attended Rio Rancho High School.
 
 
Northern GOTV Director Johanna Voss
Came over from the campaign in Arizona.  During the New Hampshire primary Voss worked on Kerry's campaign as a field organizer in Concord and then Manchester.  Campus organizer for the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group at the University of Oregon in Eugene.  Graduate of Holy Cross in Worcester, MA with a degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish, 2001.
 
 

More: Southern Pueblos  (10 southern pueblos)

Native American Field Organizer for Southern Pueblos Anathea Chino
Back in New Mexico after an adventure in Greece.  Co-managed the cosmetic/fragrance department at Neiman Marcus in Las Vegas.  Graduated from New Mexico State University in 2000 with a B.S. in Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, emphasis in Marketing.  Born in Albuquerque; from Acoma Pueblo, NM.
 
Native American Field Organizer for Southern Pueblos Rosanna Breuninger
Mescalero Apache.
 
 

also?
Field Organizer Ahmed Mahad
 

Copyright © 2005  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action /html>