Minds Behind the Message
From the front lines of the campaign trail to back-end data analytics, we know what it takes to influence and motivate voters. Our team includes political professionals with decades of combined experience in political strategy, campaign management and public affairs advocacy. We help clients win the toughest races because our team has the experience, dedication and ability to get results. Meet the minds that will make a difference in your campaign.
John Jameson
President and Founder
John founded the firm in 1996 to build on his telecommunications, political and government experience. Under his leadership, Winning Connections has become America’s premier voter contact firm for winning electoral campaigns and legislative fights. John is now driving the firm’s integration of digital with telephone contact services.
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John has led Winning Connections to earn more Pollie and Reed Awards than any competitor. We helped Senator Jon Tester, Senator Al Franken and Governor Dan Malloy win some of the closest statewide races of the last decade. Our clients have ranged from Planned Parenthood, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Sierra Club to PEW, the American Cancer Association, and United Healthcare.
Prior to starting Winning Connections, John managed four statewide campaigns, was a congressional chief-of-staff and mastered telephone technology at American Mobile Satellite Corporation.
Jameson, who lives in Washington, DC, is a native of Eupora, Mississippi. He spent two years selling waterless cookware in 44 states and has traveled to more than 30 countries on five continents.
John earned a BA from Millsaps College, a JD from Duke Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His writing has appeared in The New Republic, Playboy and Campaigns & Elections. He has served in leadership positions at Christ Episcopal Church, International Bridges to Justice, the Ballot Initiatives Strategy Center, and Harvard Business School DC Alumni Association.
Stuart Jameson
Vice President for Campaigns
Stuart Jameson is the Campaign Director at Winning Connections. Stuart’s experience over a decade with the firm drives the expert political consulting he provides to clients.
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Stuart regularly travels around the country networking, marketing, and educating campaigns and organizations about our winning advantage. He got his start in politics in his home state of Mississippi, where he worked for the future governor, Ray Mabus. He joined Winning Connections in the 2004 election cycle. Since then, Stuart has worked numerous winning campaigns including races for Governor Dan Malloy, U.S. Senator Jon Tester, and Congressman Raúl Grijalva as well as legislative and municipal races in over 30 states. He received his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and his undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Mississippi.
Brian Steblay
Vice President for Operations
Brian Steblay is the Vice President for Operations at Winning Connections. He leads all technical aspects of Winning Connections call programs, optimizing our proprietary data systems to get the most efficiency out of every call we make. Brian is an innovative data-pro and always finds ways to keep our operations process best-in-class.
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Prior to joining Winning Connections, he cut his teeth in politics working with Grassroots Campaigns Incorporated in support of John Kerry in 2004. Following his start in politics, he worked on targeted Congressional campaigns in Washington State, Florida, and Michigan. He spent three years serving in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Gary Peters after helping his successful campaign in 2008, and has consulted on everything from local to federal campaigns.
Brian grew up outside Seattle, Washington and is a graduate of Western Washington University.
Mark Schauer
Senior Strategist
Former Congressman Mark Schauer represented Michigan’s 7th District from 2009-11. Previously, Mark was Battle Creek City Commissioner, state Representative and state Senator, rising to the post of Democratic Leader. He was chosen by Michigan Democrats as their gubernatorial nominee in 2014, losing a tight race to the Republican incumbent.
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A client of Winning Connections, Mark won multiple times as an underdog in GOP-gerrymandered districts, earning him a reputation as a dogged campaigner who assembles effective teams and employs the most sophisticated tools and methods.
Mark has also performed national consulting work for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee’s Advantage 2020 project and for the Eric Holder-chaired National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Mark holds a BA from Albion College, a Master of Public Administration from Western Michigan University, and an MA in Political Science from Michigan State University. Mark and his wife Christine live in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Michael Childers
Operations Manager and Data Assistant
Michael Childers is the Operations Manager and Data Assistant at Winning Connections. He assists the Vice President of Operations with technical aspects of the firm’s call programs and performs data analysis for clients.
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Prior to joining the firm in April 2014, Michael was a data manager at Community Connect LLC. He has worked on candidate and issue campaigns, large and small, and has been responsible for both in-field and data roles across multiple states including Florida, Maryland, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Michael graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2010 with a masters in Mathematics.
Max Mays
Research Director
Max Mays is the Research Director at Winning Connections. He manages the firm’s research for elections and grassroots issues across the country.
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A native of Kansas, Max has long had an interest in progressive politics. Prior to joining the firm, Max interned for Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and at the campaign finance watchdog Every Voice. He also served as a Corps Member for City Year New Hampshire, helping bridge the achievement gap in a third grade classroom.
Max graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies. He is excited to continue to work on behalf of progressive candidates and causes.
Joe Hayes
Programs Director
Joe Hayes is the Programs Director at Winning Connections. He runs the firm’s direct voter contact programs for grassroots advocacy as well as elections. Joe works with clients to determine how to best accomplish their goals, engaging constituencies across the country.
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Joe started his professional career in 2011 as a Teach for America Corps Member, teaching special education in Chicago Public Schools. After completing TFA, Joe continued to work for social justice as the Assistant to the Director of Northwestern University’s Bluhm Legal Clinic, spearheading an effort to quantitatively evaluate and reform the Cook County Jail.
In early 2016, Joe accepted a fellowship with Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL), advancing the Congressman’s education policy and criminal justice reform agenda. After completing the fellowship, Joe worked in direct mail during the 2016 election cycle, managing accounts for Moore Campaigns, a progressive firm working with democratic candidates across the country.
Joe graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2011 with degrees in History and Public Policy. He completed his Masters in Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University in 2016.
Daniel Villars
Program Manager
Daniel is the Program Manager at Winning Connections. He manages client accounts for local, state and federal campaigns; and specializes in Winning Connections’ growing digital portfolio.
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Prior to joining Winning Connections, Daniel worked on the Democracy Team at USPIRG, where he focused on campaign finance reform and digital advocacy. He also has experience as a Research Assistant, developing a database on Los Angeles public schools, and as a Field Manager, working on progressive issues on the ground in New Jersey.
Daniel hails from New Jersey. He graduated from Pomona College in Southern California, where he studied Politics and Economics. He is thrilled to be advancing progressive policies and working to get more Democrats elected across the country.
Lindsay O’Keefe
Office and Events Manager
Lindsay is the Office and Events Manager at Winning Connections. She manages the daily operations of the office and works with clients to plan various events.
More About Lindsay
Prior to joining Winning Connections, she worked at Rising Tide Interactive, another political consulting firm, as the Operations Associate. She graduated from St. Olaf College where she studied History and Sociology. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Lindsay completed her MA in Gender Studies abroad at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. In her free time she likes to read, play board games and snuggle with her two dogs, Maya and Goose.