Shop Talk: NRCC Fills Out Senior Leadership Team
By Abby Livingston
Posted at 9 a.m. on Dec. 20
The National Republican Congressional Committee has staffed up its senior team for the 2014 midterm election cycle.
NRCC Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon previously hired Liesl Hickey to run the committee as executive director. The new senior team, being announced Thursday, includes a few familiar names as well as some new ones.
Here are the new hires, along with their official biographies, as provided by the committee:
- Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel Jessica Furst’s “role at the NRCC is elevating after serving as General Counsel this past cycle. Jessica previously worked as an associate in Foley & Larder LLP’s Washington office in the Political Law Practice Group, where she represented various U.S. House and Senate candidates and national party committees. Prior to that experience, Jessica served as Communications Director to Congresswoman Katherine Harris’ successful 2004 Congressional campaign. Jessica also regularly appears as a panelist on the Hannity show on FOX News.”
- Political Director Rob Simms “is a veteran political operative and brings a wealth of valuable experience to our political division. Most recently, Rob has been a senior consultant at Red Maverick Media. Before that, he was chief of staff to Rep. Bill Shuster and president of Persuasion Public Strategies, a political consulting firm. Rob was Georgia’s deputy secretary of state from 2007 until 2009. His vast experience spans from congressional to senatorial to gubernatorial campaigns.”
- Communications Director Andrea Bozek ”got her start at NRCC during the 2006 cycle. She later worked as a research analysis and regional coordinator on John McCain’s presidential campaign, was press secretary for Congressman Tom Reynolds and served as communications director for Chris Lee’s campaign and official office. A Buffalo native, Andrea returned to the NRCC in 2011 as a regional press secretary and rose to Deputy Communications Director.”
- Patriot Director Brandon Moody ”comes to us from Congressman Sean Duffy’s office, where he served as chief of staff. Prior to that, Brandon was communications director for Congressman Reid Ribble and managed his successful 2010 campaign in Wisconsin. Brandon brings a wealth of campaign experience, including serving as vice president of U.S. Campaigns for Marsh Copsey + Associates and managing Jim Gerlach’s campaign in 2006.”
- Principal Staffer and Adviser for the Deputy Chairman Bill Dolbow ”will serve as principle staffer and advisor for NRCC Deputy Chairman Lynn Westmoreland. He will also lead Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s political team in Washington. Bill is an 18-year veteran of Capitol Hill and VA-7 Congressional District, serving most recently as Senior Advisor to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.”
- Finance Director Jenny Drucker ”is returning after a successful cycle as NRCC Finance Director. Jenny first joined the NRCC in 2005 as PAC Director. In January 2007, Jenny moved to the other side of Capitol Hill and worked as the PAC Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. In December of 2008, she traveled back to the House side as the Deputy Finance Director under the leadership of Chairman Pete Sessions at the NRCC. Drucker got her start in Congressman Pete Session’s office back in 2000.”
- Digital Director Gerrit Lansing ”started out in Washington as the Features Editor for Heritage’s The Foundry blog. After roughly a year and a half, he moved to the Hill to work as the new media director for Congressman Peter Roskam. He then jumped to Rep. Paul Ryan’s staff, working as his press secretary on the House Budget Committee until May of 2012 when Gerrit joined the NRCC as Digital Director.”
- Research Director Jon Black ”is entering his third cycle as Research Director of the NRCC. Black, a native of Orem, UT, worked as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill, and in 2006 started his research career at the NRCC. After a cycle in the research department at the NRSC, Black returned to the NRCC as the committee’s research director, helping Chairman Sessions and Republicans win and maintain a Republican majority in the House.”