Conatser Consults
After three years as a fundraiser for prominent Washington GOP fundraising firm Eudy Nelson & Associates, Elizabeth Chenoweth Conatser has decided to go it alone and open her own shop: E2C Consulting Inc.
Conatser brings eight years of fundraising experience to the new enterprise. In the past cycle she helped elect Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), return Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) to the chamber, and bring Rep. Joe Wilson (S.C.) to the House in a special election.
She also helped rake in $2.5 million in PAC receipts — the highest of any Senate candidate that cycle — and overall campaign receipts of $11.8 million for then-Sen. Spence Abraham’s (Mich.) failed re-election effort in 2000. Before that time, Conatser raised money for the Institute for Humane Studies, a nonprofit devoted to free-market issues.
The Mill Churns. Sutter’s Mill Fund Raising and Strategy, a leading Democratic firm, recently promoted two staff members.
Lindsay Forehand Angerholzer, a political associate for the firm in the past cycle, has become senior associate. She will run the corporate office in Washington, interact with all clients and contractors, and will do some national and political action committee fundraising.
She worked closely with several clients in the past cycle, including new Reps. Mike Michaud (D-Maine), David Scott (D-Ga.) and Denise Majette (D-Ga.) and veteran Rep. Ken Lucas (D-Ky.).
Tim McCann, who had been an intern for the firm in the past cycle, takes over the political associate duties. He will handle marketing duties, logistics for national fundraising events, and computer duties.
Sutter’s Mill, a four-person firm, boasts of helping elect 16 Democrats to the House since 1996.
Film School Expertise, Not Too Shabby. Neil Kammerman, who has a master’s degree in film and video production from the University of Texas at Austin, has been named senior vice president of Murphy Putnam Media, a Democratic media consulting firm.
Kammerman, who has been with the firm since 2000, is also a veteran of New Jersey politics. His clients in the past election cycle included Majette and Rep. Chris Bell (D-Texas).
Adjust Rolodexes Accordingly. A one-time aide to former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) was hired this week to be executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party. Mitchell Lowe, 32, also worked for former Rep. Jay Dickey (R-Ark.).
Meanwhile, the Oregon GOP also has a new leadership team. New Party Chairman Kevin Mannix, the GOP’s unsuccessful candidate for governor last year, has named his former campaign manager, Amy Casterline, as executive director. She replaces Darryl Howard, who held the job for four years.
Bookmark This! Research 2000, a national independent polling firm, is launching a Web site, where it will make its polling data available, as well as a variety of news stories, commentaries and useful links.
The site can be accessed at www.research2000.us or www.unbiasedandreliable.com.
Research 2000 is run by veteran pollster Del Ali, and was in the field in several key states and swing districts last cycle.
Gentlepersons and Scholars. President Bush has appointed four new members to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars board of trustees. They are:
• Donald Garcia, president and owner of Pinnacle Financial Group in Orange County, Calif.;
• Bruce Gelb, a former ambassador to Belgium and former head of the U.S. Information Agency;
• Tamala Longaberger, president and CEO of the Longaberger Co., a direct-sales company; and
• David Metzner, managing director of the American Continental Group, a Washington-based government affairs firm.
The Wilson center is a nonprofit institution that is part of the Smithsonian Institution and serves as a memorial to the former president. The new directors will serve until 2008.
Lauren W. Whittington and Susan Crabtree contributed to this report.