DFA Grassroots Campaign Training

Written by: Bill Rittenberg on Jun 8, 2006 11:42 PM EDT

Linked to groups: MidMichigan Democracy for America

MMDFA Members,

This past weekend June 3-4 the DFA Training Academy held a high-powered workshop "DFA Grassroots Campaign Training" in Columbus Ohio for progressive activists, candidates, and campaign managers.

Below are the chapter titles of the workshop training manual and the biographies of the workshop leaders. You can read the manual at www.dfalink.com/group_files.php?... on the MMDFA site at DFALink.

Bill



Biographies of Trainers

Jennifer S. Coken
Executive Director, Main Street Colorado (an Education Fund in Colorado); prior to that she served as the Political Director for Congresswoman Diana DeGette leading her re-election campaign with an historic win of 73%. Before moving to the state of Colorado in 2004, Coken was a field associate with FieldWorks, coordinating 28 state house and senate canvass operations for the democratic caucuses in the state of Virginia. Jennifer also served as the National Campaign Director for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), leading a coalition of nearly 400 organizations to influence Congress to recommend the largest budget increase in National Park Service history. Jennifer founded Coken Consulting Company in 1997, a Washington, DC firm providing campaign management services and strategic guidance for national and community-based organizations. Jennifer grew up in Cleveland and received her MA in Political Campaign Management from Kent State University.

Arshad Hasan
Training Coordinator, Democracy for America; Worked with MoveOn PAC during the 2004 Elections. Previous to his electoral experience, Arshad based his professional political career in environmental issue advocacy and organizing. His experience includes work on legislative issue campaigns, corporate accountability campaigns, and grassroots fundraising. Arshad traces his Dean roots to February of 2003 when he founded one of the nation's first organized Dean groups, Philly For Dean. Arshad was born and raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota and went to college at the University of Pennsylvania.

Scott Goodstein
Scott Goodstein spent the last twelve years managing political campaigns and building progressive coalitions. After working for several members of Congress, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Goodstein founded Catalyst Campaigns (www.catalystcampaigns.com). A master at mixing online and offline organizing tools with culture, music, politics and messaging- Goodstein knows how to build sustainable niche based organizations from the ground up including: Punkvoter.com, Rock Against Bush, MilitaryFreeZone.org, Save CBGB, and Operation Ceasefire. Goodstein received both a BA and an MPA from The American University School of Public Affairs. Goodstein lives in Washington DC where he proudly proclaims, "George Bush is Still Not My President."

John Rowley
John first worked as a TV and radio reporter in Iowa. He has done media consulting on over 200 campaigns and was the youngest principal in a Democratic media firm (26) in the Democratic party when he and Bill Fletcher formed Fletcher & Rowley Consulting, Inc. Rowley currently is president of Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle (FRCR, Inc.) a Democratic media consulting firm. FRCR, Inc. has worked in over 30 states and won races from governor to city council. The firm has won more legislative races for Democrats than any other Democratic media firm. FRCR, Inc. has an 85% win record for women candidates and an 87% win record for African-American candidates. Rowley's commercials have won Pollie Awards, Silver Microphone Awards and Vision Awards. His work has been featured in on CNN and in Campaigns and Elections Magazine, the New York Times and the Washington Post. His firm has never worked for a Republican candidate.


Training Manual Files

1. Getting Started

2. Communications: Developing Your Message

3. Communications: Working with the Media

4. People: Building Your Activist Base

5. Money: Fundraising

6. Time: Planning and Goal-Setting

7. Developing a Field Plan

8. Neighbor to Neighbor Organizing

9. Power Mapping

10. Coalitions

11. Citizen Lobbying

12. Online Organizing

13. House Parties

14. Running Better Meetings

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Location: Lansing, MI 48864