upcoming campaign training opportunity

[mopinko]

i posted in a thread about the recalcitrant senators on healthcare that they had better watch out, because DFA and camp wellstone are training up campaign workers and grassroots candidates to take over the system. just like the religious right brought people up through the ranks from the school boards and library boards.
so, here is a great opportunity for folks in chicago. please pass the word. and if someone from out of town is interested, let me know.


-- the DFA Campaign Academy which will be here in Chicago Saturday and Sunday August 1st and 2nd.

DFA Campaign Academy weekends bring together hundreds of local activists, campaign staff and candidates for two days of intensive, interactive campaign training workshops. The program is designed to be practical and immediately useful in community organizing activities. At the Chicago event, experienced campaign professionals will teach practical strategies and tactics in areas such as communications, fundraising, voter targeting, online organizing, and building a sustainable grassroots movement. Over the last five years DFA has trained over 10,000 activists across America leading to over 500 electoral victories at all levels of national, state and local government.

DFA CAMPAIGN TRAINING ACADEMY
- Saturday and Sunday August 1 & 2
- Roosevelt University, 4:30 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago
- 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days
- Cost $60 ($75 at the door)
- Sign up at:
http://democracyforamerica.com/events/32796-dfa-campaign-training-in-chicago

Trainers include:

Anastasia Apa - Finance: Anastasia Apa has seven years of campaign management experience, and focuses on fundraising operations. She has US Senate, Congressional, city and county-wide race experience and has worked in the Southern, Midwestern and Northeastern United States. Apa recently unseated a 32-year incumbent in Mississippi and came close to electing the first African-American in the state's history. She is now working as a Campaign Manager for Taddeo for Congress in Florida’s 18th Congressional District.

Matt Blizek - Training Director: Training Director, Democracy for America. A veteran of training in the political and corporate worlds, Matt Blizek began organizing in student and local politics and was elected v! ice president of the University of Iowa Student Body. Since then he has has done field and fundraising work for numerous campaigns including the DNC, MoveOn.org, Russ Feingold, and Jon Tester. Matt joined Democracy for America in 2007.

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.

Kendra-Sue Derby- Field: Over her career, Kendra-Sue Derby has fought for progressive causes and candidates. She focuses her work on administrative and field activities. Most recently she was Senior Consultant to the Jon Tester for Senate and Montana Democratic Party. She al! so worked at Alliance for Justice from 2001 through 2006 as the Direct or of Field Operations. She trained thousands of activists and campaign employees when she worked for The Ron Brown - Paul Tully Institute for Political Action and as an independent contractor. Kendra has worked on campaigns of all sizes, ranging from City Council to Presidential, including the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Democratic presidential campaigns. In 2004 she ran the Democratic Party of Oregon’s coordinated campaign. Kendra currently resides in Denver.

To see a preview of the agenda go to:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/Chicagoagenda

To see some videos about the DFA Campaign Academy you can go to:
http://democracyforamerica.com/events/32796-dfa-campaign-training-in-chicago

Democracy for America (DFA), founded by Howard Dean in 2004, is a political action committee dedicated to building a grassroots network of activists running for all levels of office – from the school board to the Presidency.

I hope you are able to let your members know about this opportunity.

Thanks,