John Kerry for President Inc.
On December 4, 2002, Sen. Kerry filed papers with the FEC establishing
John Kerry for President Inc., an exploratory committee. James M.
Jordan served as the national campaign manager through November 9, 2003;
he was replaced by Mary Beth Cahill, who previously served as chief of
staff to Sen. Edward Kennedy.
John Kerry for President Inc. Michigan
Leadership
Campaign Headquarters: 26100 American Drive, Suite 200,
Southfield
moved in latter part of Sept. 2003; grand opening Oct.
2, 2003
All Michiganers
| State Director |
Jim Curran |
(started September 2003)
Associate at Karoub Associates a lobbying firm in Lansing; he joined in
2000. Curran is former manager of government relations for Suburban
Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). He is a certified
professional of the Academy for Health Care Management. Curran earned
his B.S. from Michigan State University.
| Deputy State Director |
Michael Simon |
(started with the campaign full
time in mid June 2003) An aide to Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
on her successful 2002 campaign and on the transition team. In 2000
worked as an Oakland County Field Organizer for the Michigan Democratic
Party Coordinated Campaign. Graduate of the University of Michigan
with a B.A. in political science.
| Political Director |
Jennifer Ferguson |
(started October 22, 2003)
Ferguson returned to Michigan to work on the Kerry campaign after spending
years living in Boston, MA and Washington, DC. She earned her BS
degree in Public Relations/Mass Communications from Boston University.
Her tenure in Washington, DC began at the Democratic National Committee
working as a coordinator for women's' activities for the '96 Democratic
convention. She was a political appointee for the Clinton Administration,
working at the White House Office of Management and Budget as a Public
Affairs Officer and a Special Assistent for the Director of Health, Personnel
and Veterans Affairs. She is the daughter of Joel Ferguson of Lansing,
who has been a member of the DNC since 1988.
| Regional Field Director |
Matthew Phelan |
(started October 2003)
Phelan began his involvement in campaigns as a visibility director for
the 2000 Coordinated Campaign in Southwest Michigan. In 2002 heorked
as Campaign Coordinator for the Ed LaForge for State Senate campaign and
as field staff for the Jennifer Granholm for Governor campaign in Kalamazoo.
Graduate of Western Michigan University.
| Regional Field Director |
Amy McCusker |
(Started on the Kerry campaign
in June 2003 as a volunteer, hired in September 2003) Volunteer on
Democratic campaigns in Michigan since Dukakis in 1988, and has worked
on local campaigns as a profession, some paid, some volunteer, for
the past four years. In 2002 she worked as 11th CD Field Coordinator
for the Granholm campaign and also assisted in scheduling. McCusker
is Secretary of the 11th CD Democrats (Wayne and Oakland Counties), and
elected member at-large in the Southwest Oakland Democrats. She has
B.A. in Journalism/Poli Sci/History from University of Michigan.
McCusker has done research on voting trends in ethnic communities, war
trends and foreign policy (specifically the Arab and Israeli conflict and
Irish question), worked in radio, and was the Community Services
Director for the City of Wixom. She is working on completing an M.A.
in Public Policy through University of Michigan.
| Regional Field Director |
Shirley Brockhahn |
(started October 2003)
A recently retired teacher who has been involved in politics with the Michigan
Education Association Political Action Committee and the Genesee County
Democratic Party (currently 1st Vice Chair). Brockhahn has worked
on numerous coordinated campaigns at the local, state and national levels.
She was the campaign manager for state Rep. Rose Bogardus's successful
re-election in 2000. She has a B.S. and M.A. from Eastern Michigan
University.
| Volunteer Coordinator/Office
Manager |
Joan Gebhardt |
(started May 2003; officially
on staff as the Office Manager/Volunteer Coordinator in mid-September 2003)
Gebhardt is a retired elementary school principal. In the year prior
to the Kerry campaign, she was a regular volunteer on the Granholm for
Governor campaign, working in the Livonia headquarters. Her campaign
experience has been largely on local campaigns such as school board and
millage elections, including as campaign manager to several school board
candidates. Gebhardt earned her B.A. and M.A. from Eastern
Michigan University and completed pre-doctoral work at Wayne State University.
She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Madonna University.
| Director of Faith Outreach |
Frances Davis |
Davis served as Deputy Campaign
Coordinator/Director of Urban Strategy and Coordinator of City of Detroit
for the Jim Blanchard for Governor campaign, Feb.-Aug. 2002. She
worked as an assistant to Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, focusing on community
and legislative affairs and economic development, 1994-2001.
Davis served as executive administrative assistant to Detroit Councilman
Nicholas Hood, 1985-93; and as special projects assistant to Detroit Councilwoman
Erma Henderson, 1983-85. She was a delegate to the 2000 Democratic
National Convention and served on the State Central Committee of the Michigan
Democratic Party, 1997-2002.
Endorsements
(the twelve state legislators reported by George Weeks
in the Detroit News, August 14, 2003)
Sen. Buzz Thomas - Detroit
Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman
- Detroit
Rep. Tupac Hunter - Detroit
Rep. Bill McConico - Detroit
Rep. Mary Waters - Detroit
Rep. Paul Condino - Southfield
Rep. Chris Kolb - Ann Arbor
Rep. Alexander Lipsey -
Kalamazoo
Rep. Clarence Phillips -
Pontiac
Rep. Joseph Rivet - Bay
City
Rep. Dale Sheltrown - Gladwin
Rep. Lisa Wojno - Warren
Former Governor Jim Blanchard
Daniel Mulhern, husband
of Gov. Jennifer Granholm
Former Wayne County Commissioner
Art Blackwell
Emma Bell, chair of the
Michigan Women's Commission
also (from list of superdelegates
on website)
Lu Battaglieri, DNC Member
Joel Ferguson, DNC Member
Steering Committee
Former Governor Jim Blanchard
Daniel Mulhern, husband
of Gov. Jennifer Granholm
Sen. Buzz Thomas - Detroit
Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman
- Detroit
Emma Bell, chair of the
Michigan Women's Commission
Former Wayne County Commissioner
Art Blackwell
Reverend Leroy Shelton -
Flint |