Southeast
Regional Chairman - Ralph Reed
Southeast
Regional Political Director - Heath Thompson
Bush-Cheney '04, Inc. | 420
East Jefferson Street | Tallahassee
(Grand Opening April 7, 2004...Chairman
Gov. Marc Racicot joined by Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist, Chief
Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commissioner
Charles Bronson, State Rep. Jennifer Carroll and Republican Party of Florida
Chairman Carole Jean Jordan).
In an October 26, 2004
press release, Republican Party of Florida Senior Advisor Mindy Tucker
Fletcher described a campaign organization consisting of "more than 90,000
volunteers, 10,000 precinct captains and hundreds of full-time, paid staffers
working in every county in the state." Several days later another release
put the number of volunteers at 102,438.
(announced as Chairman Oct.
1, 2003) Elected 1998, re-elected 2002.
Executive Director |
Brett Doster |
(from Oct. 2003) Prior
to the campaign Doster worked as an associate at Uhlfelder & Associates,
P.A. in Tallahassee, starting Feb. 2003. He served as Deputy Director
of the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, focusing
particularly on developing new high technology business in the state, 2001-03.
Statewide political director for Gov. George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential
campaign in Florida; after the March primary, he served as the statewide
political director for Florida Victory 2000. Doster has worked on
all three of Jeb Bush's gubernatorial campaigns starting in 1993 as a political
aide. Graduate of the Citadel in Charleston, SC. Doster is
also a licensed real estate agent.
Political Director |
Mandy Fletcher |
Northeast Florida Field Director
for Gov. Jeb Bush's 2002 re-election campaign.
Communications Director |
Albert Martinez |
(from Oct. 2003) Prior
to joining the campaign Martinez worked as a contract communications specialist
with state Sen. Dan Webster's campaign for U.S. Senate. Previously
he worked as deputy speech writer for Gov. Jeb Bush.
Events Director |
Robin Robinson |
Worked in Gov. Jeb Bush's Office
of Policy and Budget as a health care budget analyst prior to joining the
campaign.
Coalitions Director |
Jennifer Bennick |
Started her career in politics
as a Professional Development Analyst in Gov. Jeb Bush's Office of Professional
Development, helping to place non-working citizens in state jobs.
Bachelors degree in international affairs and political science from Florida
State University.
Regional Field Directors (8):
Panhandle (10 Counties
in Northwest Florida) |
Nicholas Breeding |
72-hour director on South Carolina
Victory 2002, the state party’s coordinated campaign. Graduate of
Roanoke College, where he was senior class president.
Northeast Florida |
Brewster Bevis |
Served as staff assistant in
newly elected Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL)'s office, starting in Jan. 2003.
Executive assistant in the Office of the Secretary, Florida Department
of State, starting Feb. 11, 2002.
Ocala/Gainesville |
Chris Walsh |
East I-4 Corridor |
Vienna Avelares |
"a gregarious Puerto Rican single
mother"-Matt Taibbi
Broward/Treasure Coast |
Sara Misselhorn |
MBA from University of Miami
in 2004; two B.S. degrees from Vanderbilt University, one in political
science and one in secondary education.
Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties |
Michelle Azel |
Previously Manager of Executive
Affairs for the Florida Marlins, serving as the team's government and public
affairs liaison. Experience in the health care field. Bachelor's
degree from Purdue University and Master of Science from St. Thomas University.
Southwest Florida |
Russ Peck |
Events coordinator at the Department
of Children and Families. Worked part-time in Gov. Jeb Bush.
B.A. in finance and English from Florida State. Originally from Tulsa,
OK. (Note: Based in Fort Myers. SW Florida
region covered nine counties: Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, Charlotte,
Glades, Lee, Collier, Hendry).
Tampa Bay |
Nathan Hollifield |
A 72-hour representative on
South Carolina Victory 2002, the state party’s coordinated campaign.
-On March 3, 2004, the campaign
announced its Florida County Leadership Team, comprising 212 leaders.
Coalitions include:
-Bush-Cheney '04 Florida
Educators for Bush: Steering committee chairs - Susan Sailor,
Grace Williams, and Scott Hebert. (Florida Teachers of the Year in
1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively).
-On May 18, 2004 Florida
First Lady Columba Bush joined Florida Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings and Republican
Party of Florida Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan to announce the Bush-Cheney
'04 Florida "W Stands for Women" Leadership Team. There were
235 co-chairs throughout the state.
-On April 12, 2004 Gov. Jeb
Bush keynoted a rally to launch the Bush-Cheney '04 National Hispanic
Steering Committee at the Latin Quarter Restaurant at Universal City
Walk in Orlando. Co-chairs of Florida Hispanics for Bush include
state Reps. Gaston Cantens (R-Sweetwater), Juan Carlos Zapata (R-Miami),
and John Quinones (R-Kissimmee). There were 175 co-chairs statewide.
-Bush-Cheney '04 Florida
Veterans: State co-chairs - Admiral Thomas Morris (U.S. Navy,
Ret.), General James Dozier (U.S. Army, Ret.), and General James Hart (U.S.
Air Force, Ret.). Together, they helped organize a team of over 100
Veterans across Florida.
-Democrats for Bush:
Chair - Manuel D. Medina (chairman & CEO, Terremark
Worldwide, Inc.). This
was one of the campaigns most prominent coalitions, ultimately including
436 Democrats across the state who had signed endorsement forms.
(That number did not include the volunteers). Democrats for Bush
got off to an early start in Florida. On March 24, 2004, during
a telephonic press conference several Florida Democrats who served during
Bob Graham’s administration endorsed President Bush for re-election: former
Executive Director of the Florida Democrat Party Barney Bishop, Former
Speaker of the Florida House James Harold Thompson, Florida Board of Education
member and former Special Election Counsel Steve Uhlfelder, and Graham’s
own Lieutenant Governor Wayne Mixson.
-Caribbean and Haitian
Americans for Bush: Chairs - Marie Bell, Dr. Ranley Desir, and
Lucy Orlando. Gov. Jeb Bush spoke at the rollout in Miami on Oct.
9, 2004 and over 150 people attended.
-Seniors Coalition:
Chairs - Jerry Buchanan, Charlie Kane (retired CIA employee from Stuart)
and Marie Powell-Sullivan (realtor from Treasure Island). There were
200 co-chairs throughout the state.
-African
American Coalition: Chairs - David Griffin (former Secretary
of the Florida Lottery) and Dr. Dorsey Miller (retired professor).
Griffin and coalitions director Jennifer Bennick traveled to Jacksonville,
Miami, and Orlando to host roundtables with prominent African Americans
to get the coalition up and running. The rollout in Ft. Lauderdale
in July brought together over 200 African Americans from around the state.
All in all, there were over 160 co-chairs around the state.
-Floridians
with Disabilities Coalition: Chairs - Dr. JR Harding, Andrew
Houghton, and Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte. Florida Lt. Gov. Toni
Jennings took part in the rollout.
-First Responders Coalition:
Chairs - Graham Fountain (member of IUPA) and Don Hunter (Sheriff of Collier
County). 65 men and women from around the state participated as co-chairs.
-Physicians for Bush Coalition:
Chairs - Dr. Carl Lentz (Daytona Beach plastic surgeon) and The Honorable
Sandra Mortham (exec. vice president and CEO of the Florida Medical Association);
consisted of over 70 major doctors.
-Ag for Bush Coalition:
Chairs - Bill Becker (citrus), Commissioner Charles Bronson (Agriculture
Cabinet Member) and June Duda (rancher). Together, they led a team
of over 75 other agriculturalists from Florida as co-chairs.
-Lawyers for Bush Coalition:
Chairs - Carol Licko, Roberto Martinez and David Brown. Together
they had more than 85 lawyers who participated as the other co-chairs.
Lawyers signed endorsement cards to participate on Election Day.
There were many training sessions that occurred throughout the state to
teach them specifics on election laws.
Note. Numbers above
for co-chairs of the various coalitions do not include the actual number
of volunteers these groups really had, just the co-chairs.
Florida Victory
2004
Victory
Director |
Stephen Shiver |
(and RPOF
executive director of political affairs since May 2004, succeeding Geoffrey
Becker; see below) Previously served as the RPOF's deputy director
of political affairs. Worked for former state House Speaker Tom Feeney
and for former Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan.
72-Hour
Director |
Andy Palmer |
(Started
Feb. 2004) Formerly employed in Governor Bush's Office of Policy
and Budget.
Voter
Registration Coordinator |
Clint Fuhrman |
Experience
includes special assistant to Gov. Jeb Bush.
Absentee
Ballot Coordinators |
Brandon Vidrine
Kerry Baldwin |
Election
Day Coordinator |
Brandi Brown |
also Early
Vote
Voter
Vault Coordinator |
Sarah Anderson |
Field
Staff
Started with 26
field staff and 22 regions. Initial hires in May and June.
Finished with about 40 field staff.
Campus
Outreach Coordinator |
Ginny Geiger |
about 10 college coordinators
also church coordinators
[67 County Level
Organizations (volunteer): Steering Committee, Coalitions
(example)]
Republican Party of Florida | 420
E. Jefferson Street | PO Box 311 | Tallahassee
Chairman/National Committeewoman |
Carole Jean Jordan |
Elected Chairman of the Republican
Party of Florida in January 2003. Sought the Republican nomination
in Florida’s 15th CD in 1994, finishing a close second. President
of the Florida Federation of Republican Women, 1993-98. Resides in
Vero Beach (Indian River County) and owns, with her husband, Jordan Irrigation
and Landscape, Inc..
Assistant to the Chairman/Travel
Coordinator |
Sara Busk |
Executive Assistant to
the Chairman & General Counsel/Director for Financial Affairs |
Renee Hall |
General Counsel & Director
of Financial Affairs |
Robert Sechen |
Deputy Director for Financial
Affairs |
Dawn Hanson |
Executive Director of Political
Affairs/Victory Director |
Stephen Shiver |
Executive Assistant to
Executive Director of Political Affairs & Executive Director of Party
Development |
Kelly Porter |
Administrative Assistant |
Richard Franklin |
Receptionist |
Kelley Howes |
Accounting
Comptroller |
Richard Swarttz |
Finance
Finance Director |
Michelle Querry |
Senate
Director of Senate Campaigns |
Joel Springer |
House
Director of House Campaigns |
Frank Terraferma |
Communications
Communications Director |
Joseph Agostini |
Political
Regional Political Director,
Central Florida |
Mike Hanna |
Regional Political Director,
South Florida |
Jim Brodie |
Party Development
Executive Director of Party
Development |
Terry Kester |
Deputy Director of Party
Development |
Christina Sheppard |
Senior Advisor - Mindy
Tucker Fletcher
(Starting September 2004)
Counselor to the California Republican Party and advisor to the Bush-Cheney
'04 campaign in California. Communications director at the RNC, 2002.
Director of public affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice. National
press secretary on Bush's 2000 presidential campaign, and chief spokesperson
for the recount. Worked on then-Gov. George W. Bush's 1998 re-election
campaign. Deputy communications director at the NRCC, 1997.
Worked five years on the Washington staff of Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX).
Graduate of Southern Methodist University with B.B.A. degree, 1992. |