Michael Sargeant, Executive Director
Michael has been at the DLCC since 2001. He previously served as the national political director from 2003 to 2007. Before joining the DLCC, Michael was the director of the Tennessee House Caucus. He has also managed races in New Jersey, California, Michigan, and Missouri. He holds a degree from St. John’s University and is a New Jersey native.

Karen Noonan, Research Director & Senior Advisor
Karen joined the DLCC in January of 2002. She has a masters in political science and completed coursework for a PhD in political science. Karen has worked at research and polling firms and taught classes at the University of Washington. She’s a native of Vancouver, Washington.

Matt Compton, Communications Director
Before joining the DLCC in 2008, Matt worked as a writer and editor for a policy organization in Washington, DC, and he remains a contributor for The Democratic Strategist. Matt previously worked for the North Carolina House Democratic Caucus. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and an NC native.

Nathan Thomas, Communications/Research Assistant
Prior to joining the DLCC in 2009, Nathan worked on the writing staff of the Mack Crounse Group. He is a veteran of the 2008 Iowa Caucuses and later joined the field staff of Louisiana Democrat Don Cazayoux’s successful special election campaign for Congress. Before that, Nathan got his start as an intern for the 2006 congressional campaigns of Nick Lampson and Dan Maffei. Nathan is a native of New Orleans and a graduate of Syracuse University in New York.

John Winston, National Political Director
John oversees the political operations of the DLCC. Prior to joining the DLCC in 2005, he spent nearly a dozen years on the road working on or managing campaigns across the country. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and his Master’s degree from George Washington University. John is a native of Richmond, Virginia.

Sarah Vaughan, Political Director
Sarah joined the DLCC in 2007. She is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina but recently lived in Colorado for ten years, where she served as caucus director for the Colorado Senate. She has also worked on several campaigns. Sarah has a masters degree in public administration.

Owen Shackelford, Political Director
Owen joined the DLCC in 2007. He previously served as the executive director of the Oklahoma Senate Democrats for three years. Owen has also served as the legislative administrative assistant for Senator Stratton Taylor, President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. He was the campaign manager for the successful Boren for Congress campaign.

Whitney Denton, Political Assistant
Whitney joined the DLCC in March of 2009. She previously worked on the Obama for America campaign in Indiana. She also worked as a legislative assistant in the Oklahoma State Senate for former-President Pro Temp Mike Morgan and interned for the Oklahoma Democratic Party. She's a proud Sooner born and bred.

Elizabeth Gramling, Director of Operations
Lizz joined the DLCC in 2007. Prior to that, she spent two years as the office manager at John Kerry's Senate reelect committee and leadership PAC. She previously worked in the Voter Contact & Targeting Department at the Democratic National Committee. Lizz is from Burlington, New Jersey.

Heather Johnk, National Finance Director
Heather joined the DLCC in 2005 as the director of financial services. She's worked extensively in Iowa politics, including time as finance director for the Iowa Senate Democratic Caucus. She hails from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

Megan Hannigan, Finance Associate
Megan joined the finance team in 2009, shortly after receiving her B.A. from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She previously served as a Klindt-Dye Intern with the DLCC in the summer of 2008. Originally from just across the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia, Megan has also worked in the office of US Senator Sherrod Brown.