Jeb Bush Announces Additional Iowa Statewide Leaders and County Chairs

Jeb Bush Announces Additional Iowa Statewide Leaders and County Chairs

Today, Jeb is announcing 40 new members of the Iowa Leadership Team. These leaders will be working everyday to organize down to the precinct level to ensure a strong performance for Jeb in the Iowa Caucus.

“I am honored to join Governor Bush’s Iowa team.  No candidate has a better record of conservative results.  We need someone who doesn’t just talk but is ready to lead on day one,” said Matt Hinch, Former Chief of Staff to Governor Terry Branstad.

Jeb has previously released his Iowa Leadership Team, Polk County Leaders, Farm Team and Business Leaders.

Additions to Jeb’s Iowa Statewide Leadership Team:

Chad Airhart – Waukee
Chad was elected Dallas County Recorder in 2010.  Prior to being elected County Recorder, Airhart served as the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce Director.  Chad is a committed Republican activist and has been active in many campaigns.

Representative Rob Bacon – Slater
Rob is serving his first term in the Iowa House of Representatives.  He previously served one term in the Iowa Senate.  Rob is the owner of Bacon Funeral Homes and Crematory in Maxwell, Iowa.

Gary and Sandy Blodgett – Clear Lake
The Blodgetts have long been active in GOP politics. Dr. Gary Blodgett served 4 terms as Deputy Majority Leader in the Iowa Legislature (1993-2001) prior to being appointed as a federal Administrative Judge.  Sandy Blodgett serves on Iowa’s Judicial Qualifications Commission, managed the Mason City Congressional office of former U. S. Rep. Fred Grandy, and was a White House staff volunteer for First Lady Laura Bush.

Darlene Block – Maquoketa
Darlene has been a longtime Republican activist in Jackson County.  She currently serves as co-chair of the Jackson County Republicans. She is a long time Republican activist.

Ernie and Joanne Buresh – Cedar Rapids
Ernie and Joanne are long-time respected philanthropists and business owners in Eastern Iowa.  Ernie is the former Mayor of Swisher and the author of “The Advantage of Being Born Poor.”

Mayor Scott Cirksena – Clive
Scott was elected the Mayor of Clive in 2009.  He previously served on the Clive City Council.  He is currently a Senior District Sales Manager for Kenworth Trunk Co.

Vergene Donovan – Spirit Lake
Vergene has been a Republican activist in Dickinson County since the 1960s. She’s been active in every Republican presidential campaign since Richard Nixon. She has played an active in all of Governor Ray and Governor Branstad’s campaigns.

Hugh Field – Waterloo
Hugh has served as the chairman of many organizations, including the Cedar Valley United Way, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber, Waterloo Industrial Development Association, Schoitz Health Resources, and the Black Hawk County Republican Central Committee.  He is currently an attorney in the Waterloo area.

Jane Field – Waterloo
Jane has been actively involved in the Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls for many years, including chairing the organization’s annual Charity Ball. She has also served as a member of the Presidential Advance team for Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

Mayor Steve Gaer – West Des Moines
Steve is currently serving his third term as mayor of West Des Moines after serving eight years on as West Des Moines City Council Member.  He is currently the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for R&R Realty Group.

Mark Havlicek – Clive
Mark is Vice President and Manager of Total Performance Labs and Strategic Imperatives for Wells Fargo Mortgage.  Mark is a committed Republican activist and has been active in many campaigns.

Supervisor Karl Helgevold – Eagle Grove
Karl is a Wright County native, who moved to Florida after his graduation where he supported Jeb in two gubernatorial elections before returning home to raise his family. He is currently the Chairman of the Wright County Board of Supervisors, and serves on the County Social Services Board, the Wright County Board of Health and the Wright County Economic Development Board among others. He also owns and operates two real estate investment companies and is the President of Wright County Housing, Inc.

Matt Hinch – Des Moines
Matt served as Governor Branstad’s chief of staff since 2013.  He previously has served as Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy for the Greater Des Moines Partnership.  Matt has over ten years of political experience having served as chief of staff to Iowa Speaker of the House Kriag Paulsen and campaign manager and legislative director for Congressman Tom Latham.

Former Senator Merlin Hulse – Tipton
Merlin is a former Iowa State Senator and farmer. He is a lifelong resident of Cedar County. He has been a Republican activist for many years.

Former Representative Willard Jenkins – Waterloo
A Waterloo native Willard was an engineer for John Deere for 35 years working in Moline, IL, Waterloo, IA and Heidelberg Germany.  In his retirement he served in the Iowa House of Representatives for ten years.

Maggie Klaes – Clinton
Maggie is a lifelong resident of Clinton County. She has been a committed Republican activist for many years.

Cindy Kohlmann – Dubuque
Cindy has been a radio talk show host I with KDTH n Dubuque since 2007. Previously, she was a district representative for Congressman Nussle. She is a Dubuque native.

Former Senator Jeff Lamberti – Ankeny
Jeff is currently managing partner at Lambert, Gocke & Luetje, P.C. He served in the Iowa Legislature from 1995-2006, including three years as President of the Iowa Senate. He most recently served as chair of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. Jeff also serves as the President of the Iowa Barnstormer Arena Football Team and is a member of the Board of Directors of Casey’s General Stores, Inc.

Ambassador Chuck Larson, Jr. – West Des Moines
Chuck is currently a partner at Des Moines based public relations firm LS2group. He is a former U.S. ambassador to Latvia between. Prior to his appointment, Chuck served from 2003–2007 as an Iowa State Senator. From 1993–2001, he was a member of the Iowa House. As a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, Chuck served for a year in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat and the Combat Action Badge.

Burton Loupee – Cedar Rapids
Burton served on the Cedar Rapids School Board for nine years.  A Republican activist in Linn County for many decades, he has worked on a number of successful Republican campaigns, including those of Congressman Tom Tauke and Congressman Jim Leach.

Chris Lovell – Clear Lake
Chris is a Clear Lake native and Republican activist. He works as a business development executive at Clear Lake Independent Telephone Company.

Tom Lovell – Clear Lake
Tom is the vice president and general manager of CLtel. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Iowa Communications Alliance. Tom has also served as the President of the Legal Services Corporation of Iowa.

Betty Schindler – Williamsburg
Betty is a long-time Republican activist in Iowa County.  She has served as the President of the Iowa County Republican Women and, in 2014, as the Secretary of the Iowa County Republican Central Committee.

Sheriff Jason Schluttenhofer – Clarion
Jason is the current Wright County Sheriff, having been elected in 2013. Prior to being elected sheriff, he served as a deputy with the Wright County Sheriff’s Department.

City Councilman and Former State Representative Pat Shey – Cedar Rapids
Pat is a City Councilman in Cedar Rapids and the owner of Sage Companies. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives between 1999-2005. A graduate of the University of Iowa and DePaul University College of Law, Pat has practiced law for fifteen years, including as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley.

Edwin Siering – Muscatine
Edwin is a resident of Muscatine County. He has been a lifelong Republican activist and is well known in the community.

Sherman Lundy – Cedar Falls
Sherman is a geologist in the Cedar Falls area.  He was appointed by both Governors Culver and Branstad to serve on the State Soil Conservation Committee as a representative of the mining industry.

Kathy McCoy – Waterloo
Kathy has served as the Chairman of the Allen Foundation, as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the Allen Hospital in Waterloo.

Former Senator John Putney – Gladbrook
John is a lifelong farmer from Tama County.  He served in the Iowa Senate from 2003-2009.  John also served as the Executive Director of the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation from 1993-2014.

Councilman Steven P. Ray – Boone
Steven serves at Councilmember At-Large for the City of Boone.  Mr. Ray has 28 years of service in public safety and a 1992 graduate of Iowa State University with a BA in Political Science.

Supervisor Doug Shull – Indianola
Doug has served on the Warren County Board of Supervisors since 2007. Prior to serving as a county supervisor, Doug served as an Iowa State Senator from 2003-2007 and an Iowa State Representative from 1979-1983. Doug was also an adjunct professor at Simpson College in Indianola.

Laura Skogman – Marion
Presently a full-time at-home parent, Laura has previously worked with Midwest Home Distributors and Skogman Companies and has volunteered for the American Cancer Society, the Humane Society, as well as Cedar Rapids and Linn Mar Schools.  She is currently an active member of the Republican National Committee and the Five Seasons Republican Women.

Karen Slifka – West Des Moines
Karen is currently a partner at Des Moines based public relations firm LS2group. Prior to starting LS2group, Karen served as midwest regional political director for the Republican National Committee and served in a similar capacity for President Bush’s re-election campaign in 2004.

Former Representative Walt Tomenga – Johnston
Walt is a former member of the Iowa House of Representatives from Johnston.  He served from 2005-2009.  He is management consultant and adjunct professor at Drake University.

Roger Walton – Cedar Rapids
Roger is an engineer, and a long-time Republican activist in Cedar Rapids.  In 2012, he served on the Convention Committee for the Linn County Republican Central Committee.

Shirley Schneeberger Waukon – Waukon
Shirley is the former Treasurer of the Allamakee County Museum.  She has also served as President of both the Allamakee County Republican Women and the Third Congressional District Republican Women.

Pete Welch – Cedar Rapids
A retired Captain in the United States Navy and a member of the board of directors of the Military Officers Association of America, Pete served as a member of Governor Mitt Romney’s Veterans Coalition in 2012. He is currently an attorney in the Cedar Rapids area.

Harold Winston – Mason City
Hal is a long-time Republican activist in Cerro Gordo County. He is currently a practicing attorney in Mason City.