Thursday, January 23 from 7-8 pm in Davis Library 105 via Zoom
Working on a political campaign can offer you the opportunity to develop a range of skills within a fast-paced environment. Campaigns allow you an insider’s scoop on the electoral process, as well as the day-to-day schedule and concerns of elected officials and their constituents.
If you’ve ever thought of working on a campaign, be it full-time, part-time or volunteer, attend this virtual panel discussion with Middlebury alumni. Learn about their different roles on a campaign, current trends in their work and their own paths from campus to career. Bring your questions.
This event is for ALL students, and designed to be informal and nonpartisan to show you options available no matter your party affiliation, especially for the upcoming elections this fall.
Panelists include:
Olivia Noble is the Digital Organizing Director at EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics. At EMILY’s List, she oversees everything from online candidate training and recruitment to digital organizing via social media, email, design, and SMS. Prior to coming to EMILY’s List, Olivia was the digital director at the Climate Action Campaign, coordinating the digital teams of key environmental organizations and leading digital message development on climate change across the community. She lives in Washington D.C. and graduated from Middlebury in 2013 with a degree in Environmental Studies with a focus in Policy
Rick Ridder is an award-winning international political consultant. His clients include numerous heads of state, members of Congress, political parties and conservation groups. He is President and Co-Founder of RBI Strategies and Research. A former presidential campaign manager and a senior consultant for seven other presidential campaigns, Rick has consulted for numerous U.S. Congressional, gubernatorial, and state and local initiative campaigns. Rick holds a B.A. from Middlebury College, a M.S. from Boston University, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies.
Teddy Smyth was mostly recently on the Booker campaign in New Hampshire as organizing director. With a background in grassroots organizing, Smyth has worked as state director for NextGen New Hampshire and for Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy’s successful bid to flip a House of Delegates seat in northern Virginia.
Teddy graduated from Middlebury in 2015 with a degree in Environmental Studies
Roger Alan Stone is a political Internet pioneer, innovator and entrepreneur. Working in politics and advocacy since the mid ‘80s and in the political Internet since 1998. He’s combined his knowledge of the practical needs of campaigns with cutting edge technology to invent many of the techniques used throughout now throughout our industry.
After working on seventeen elections in fourteen states, as well as on the Hill for two Representatives and a Senator he’d helped elect, Roger went to Law School at Columbia, clerked for the DC Court of Appeals and was an associate at James and Hoffman, specializing election law, non-profit organizations and unions and lobbying for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Ass and DE Shaw & Co.
By 2002 there were a number of ways to reach voters and constituents online, so to better serve his clients, Roger founded Advocacy Inc. to provided data, online advertising and consulting services. Advocacy Data pioneered matching voter files for email addresses, doing the first national match of the voter file in 2003, as well as being the first to provide Members of Congress with emails for official communication.
