Category: Get Involved

Unhappy about the way your local government is running? Stop complaining and BE the government! That’s right, YOU can run for local office and become part of the solution to persistent problems and create new possibilities for your community.

This dynamic 90 minute workshop will show you the BIG picture when considering a run for local office. We will show you a path for success and you will hear from candidates who ran and lost and who ran and won. Bottom line: You CAN do this. This session will explore the Frequently Asked Questions about seeking local office. We will be offering a full day training on the mechanics and tactics in January where attendees will take home a play book for action. Attendees to the December 3rd workshop will receive a discount to that full day training session.

$20. PLEASE REGISTER @ https://running-12-3.eventbrite.com.

The workshop instructors are Kitty Kurth and Kevin Lampe. Kurth Lampe is a Chicago-based strategic communications firm with an international reach with Chicago know how. Complicated ideas are turned into compelling and persuasive messages. Campaigns Kitty Kurth has worked on numerous campaigns serving in roles as campaign manager, press secretary, fundraiser, and advance coordinator. Kurth has served as a media consultant and general consultant for political races at every level from local to presidential including the role of Illinois campaign manager for Presidential candidate Paul Tsongas, national press and advance staff or the general election campaign of Governor Michael Dukakis and Illinois press secretary and spokesperson in the primary and advance person /organizer for Ron Brown’s campaign for Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.Training Kurth regularly provides training for candidates and campaign staff for the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Women’s Campaign Fund, National Women’s Political Caucus, and other groups. In 2001, the U.S. State Department sent Kurth and Lampe to Uganda to conduct campaign-training workshops for women Members of Parliament, candidates, and activists.

Kevin Lampe’s professional experience includes political campaigns ranging from local library boards to presidential campaigns. He has worked during each presidential election cycle since Governor Mike Dukakis in 1988. He served in variety of senior staff roles – including Director of Communications – for presidential candidates. Additionally, he served as an advance man for President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Lampe is regularly called upon to train his clients to work with the media. He has performed this task for everyone from US Presidential candidates and other elected officials to community leaders and business executives. Since 1996, he has served on the Speaking Tracking Team at each Democratic National Convention –  which handles all the speakers at this event. At the 2004 convention, he worked with then state Senator Barack Obama on his keynote address. In 2012, Lampe was in charge of training for entire Speaking Tracking Team at the Democratic National Convention. Kevin has worked with Hotel Rwanda’s Paul Ruesabegina, Erik Estrada, Ambassadors, CEOs, Senators, and Congressmen. He has worked across the US and in Kosovo, Uganda, Belgium, Albania, Sweden, United Kingdom, Norway, Mali and Macedonia.