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Shop Talk: DCCC Rounds Out Senior Staff, Including Many Returning Aides

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will announce more senior staff hires  Wednesday — a roster that includes many returning aides from the 2012 cycle.

House Democrats beat expectations to pick up eight seats in the past election. This cycle, the DCCC is attempting to net a gain of 17 more seats in order to regain the majority. That’s a difficult task because Republicans in many key states redrew the lines to the GOP’s favor during redistricting ahead of the 2012 elections.

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel of New York announced three top staffers for the 2014 cycle in November, including Kelly Ward as executive director. The following staffers are being announced Wednesday, according to a copy of the announcement obtained by CQ Roll Call:

Senior staff

  • Chief Financial Officer Jackie Forte-Mackay will stay on for a 10th cycle at the committee.
  • Chief Operating Officer Hayley Dierker served as the committee’s chief of staff to Israel last cycle.
  • Chief Administrative Officer Lila Rose served as deputy director of the DCCC’s independent expenditure unit in 2012.

Member and candidate support team

  • Political Director Brian Zuzenak will lead incumbent protection and the DCCC’s Frontline program. Last cycle, Zuzenak was a regional political director.
  • Campaign and Candidate Recruitment Director Ian Russell served as the committee’s Midwest political director last cycle.
  • Director of Member Services Charles Benton has led this department since September of 2011.
  • Research Director and Strategic Communications Adviser Adam Broder will stay at the DCCC for a fourth cycle.
  • National Press Secretary and Senior Communications Adviser Emily Bittner comes from the office of Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., where she served as his communications director. In the 2010 cycle, Bittner was the communications director at the Democratic Governors Association.
  • Candidate Fundraising Director Nicole Eynard previously served as the Midwest candidate services regional director at the committee.

Finance Team

  • National Finance Director Stella Ross served as the deputy in that department in 2012, as well as the finance director for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s, D-Calif., re-election campaign.
  • Digital Director Brandon English returns for a second cycle to oversee the DCCC’s online fundraising, communications and social media programs.
  • Director of Direct Marketing Joe Cross returns to the committee after working in the same department in the 2004 and 2006 cycles.

“Our new senior staff is a diverse team, and all have strong experience and a deep commitment to electing Democrats across the country,” said Ward, the executive director. “They have the talent, drive and skill necessary to retire the Tea Party House Republicans once and for all.”

In addition to Ward, the DCCC’s previously announced senior staffers are Deputy Executive Director and Communications Director Jesse Ferguson, and Deputy Executive Director for Finance Missy Kurek.

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