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Training Presenters

Matt Blizek – Field Organizing

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

Bryan Hageny – Planning & Volunteer Management

Bryan grew up in the fiercely contested swing state of Wisconsin, and is proud of its progressive tradition.  While attending the University of Wisconsin he worked for Howard Dean, John Kerry, and Tammy Baldwin.  Following graduation he served in a number of political and activist roles.  To this end Bryan worked as an Assistant Director of a large canvassing office in Boston, then as an Organizer of Power Shift 2007 (the first national student global warming conference held in DC), and most recently as a Community Organizer in Pennsylvania. In 2008 Bryan was hired as DFA's Deputy Training Director.  Most recently, Bryan worked as a Field Organizer on Darcy Burner’s 08 Congressional run. 

Matt Arnold – Field

Matthew “Mudcat” Arnold has developed sophisticated voter contact and volunteer engagement programs for Democratic candidates and progressive advocacy groups from coast to coast. In 2008 he designed and implemented the field program for Darcy Burner’s congressional campaign that made over half a million voter-contact attempts.  Prior to the Burner campaign he worked with the MoveOn.org election team to design the organization’s 2008 GOTV plan and innovative persuasion modeling program. He is currently a member of the core team at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a PAC that is recruiting and preparing progressive candidates to run for Congress.  

Ellery Gould - Communications

A campaign veteran before he finished college, Ellery has experience at virtually every level of politics and in every region of the country; from mayroal aide to congressional communications director, Georgia to Arizona. A Tennessee native, Ellery most recently brought his talents for winning "red states" to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee where he oversaw media campaigns for some of the toughest races in the nation and helped bring a Democratic majority to Congress for the first time since 1994. 

Selene Hofer-Shall- Finance

A former crisis counselor, Selene joined the Dean for America Operations Team in 2003, helping to compile the largest FEC reports in Presidential Campaign History. Selene was one of the 12 original staffers of Democracy for America working as the assistant to the Finance Director. She left DFA to become Finance Director for Peter Welch in his successful race for Congress in a race where she broke all previous fundraising records for the district. Following the 2006 election, Selene worked in San Antonio, TX as the Finance Director for Ciro Rodriguez in the TX-23 run-off election, raising over $600,000 in less than three weeks to successfully oust an 7-term Republican incumbent. Selene currently works as freelance finance consultant.