Meet the trainers: MATT BLIZEK – NATIONAL FIELD DIRECTOR , DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA (B URLINGTON , VT) Matt is the National Field Director at Democracy for America. He was born and raised in rural Iowa and first got involved in politics at 19 while attending the University of Iowa. In 2001 he managed his first campaign in an attempt to elect a UI student to the Iowa City Council. Since then he has has done Field, Fundraising and Online Organizing for numerous campaigns including the DNC, MoveOn.org, Russ Feingold, Jon Tester, and the No On 1 campaign for marriage equality in Maine. For the last four years Matt has managed national field and training programs for Democratic activists and candidates at Democracy for America. Since joining DFA he has organized over 71 campaign trainings in 33 states, training over 8,000 progressives to become better activists, campaign staff or candidates. ANASTASIA APA – FINANCE (MIAMI , FL) Anastasia Apa is a political management and fundraising consultant who has traveled the country for the past eight years to help Democrats build the strongest campaigns possible. She has worked at the local, state and federal level in the Southern, Midwestern and Eastern part of the country. Apa focuses on fundraising and planning because she believes a solid plan and the money to implement it is the way to a win. She is based in Miami and runs a campaign staffing network which trains, retains and places experienced campaign operatives on races. JOHN ROWLEY – COMMUNICATIONS (NASHVILLE , TN) John Rowley’s first work was in radio and television in Burlington, Iowa. Rowley became one of the youngest principals and owners of a national media consulting firm in 1996 at 26. He is now President of Fletcher Rowley. His media consulting firm has worked in over 400 political campaigns for Democrats in 46 states. He has worked with candidates from President and governor to city council. His firm has won advertising awards including Pollies (30), the Silver Microphone Award, Telly Awards, and Vision Awards. In the 2006 and 2007 election cycle, his firm won more awards for creativity and the use of humor in political commercials than any other firm. His commercials have been featured on NPR, PBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC and on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. His firm’s work or campaigns have been covered by the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , and the Washington Post . HELEN STRAIN – FIELD (G AINESVILLE , FL) Helen is a Florida native who has worked in hundreds of campaigns from City Hall to Congress across the United States for over 20 years. She worked for the Clinton Group, a political telephone firm as a Program Manager, House Victory 2000 for the Florida Democratic Caucus as a Regional Organizer; she has served as Vice-Chair of the Florida Democratic Party and a member of the DNC. Some highlights of her career were Advance for Election Day – Clinton/Gore 1996 in Little Rock, Ark, Field Director for Janet Reno for Governor, Campaign Manager for Dave Aronberg for Florida State Senate and Lois Frankel for West Palm Beach Mayor as well as Field Director for Angela Alioto for San Francisco Mayor, and as the Field Director for the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. Her specialty is in "foot, phone, and mail." developing field plans and implementing the tactical door to door, phone, and direct mail campaigns. She currently serves as the Vice President of External Affairs for Planned Parenthood of North Florida. MONIQUE TEAL – NATIONAL FIELD ORGANIZER , DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA (B URLINGTON , VT) Monique began organizing while attending college- working on a number of city and statewide issues and for progressive candidates ranging from former Ashland City Councilor, Cate Hartzell to Oregon’s current Secretary of State, Kate Brown. Monique joined DFA in 2011 after two years as the National Field Director for the US Student Association (USSA). While with USSA, she worked to hold state and national leaders accountable on key progressive issues, such as education, healthcare, immigration reform and labor rights. For the 2010 election, she organized voter registration, education and get-out-the-vote efforts on over 100 college campuses resulting in over 70,000 registered voters. Monique now works as the National Field Organizer for the South. .