Join the Ohio University Alumni Association on National Voter Registration Day for an in-depth look at elections, the importance of voting, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at political campaigns.

Correspondent for CBS News and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery, BSJ '17, will lead a panel of political experts in a discussion that will give OHIO alumni an inside look at the election process in the United States. Panelists will discuss topics such as campaign strategy, marketing, the importance of fundraising, super PACs, and debate preparation. Panelists will also provide an inside look on things to look for on election night. Faculty in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs will share research and ideas around the importance of elections as a whole, keeping elections fair, as well as address the Electoral College and its role.

We hope that you will join us in learning more about the political process in America, and we hope that you will join us in registering to vote for the 2020 elections.

You will receive a confirmation email upon registration that will include details on how to join this virtual event.

If you have any questions, please email Associate Director, Alumni Experiences, Caleb Beasecker at  beasecker@ohio.edu .

Wesley Lowery is a correspondent for "60 in 6," a 60 Minutes spinoff on the mobile app Quibi. Prior to joining CBS News, he was a national correspondent for the Washington Post, where he primarily covered issues of race and justice. He has twice been a member of teams awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and his work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic and GQ Magazine.

Panelists:

As President of NK Baur & Associates, Natalie Baur is a nationally recognized professional with over twenty-eight years of experience helping political campaigns, corporations and non-profit interests with fundraising, campaign finance management, federal and state election law compliance and special event planning.

Natalie has extensive experience in political campaign finance management including finance plan development, fundraising program management and donor relations. Under her leadership as Finance Director for Senator Rob Portman, his campaign has raised over $47 million since 2009. Natalie also serves as Finance Director for Congressmen Dave Joyce, Anthony Gonzalez, Bob Latta and Steve Chabot. She previously worked on the US Senate campaign of Senator George Voinovich and Governor Mike DeWine’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Natalie received a bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Ohio University in 1992.

One of the country’s premier Democratic fundraisers, Lauren Dikis joined the full service digital firm, New Blue Interactive in 2020 as Managing Director. In 2019, Lauren was the National Finance Director for Cory Booker‘s presidential campaign. She managed a team of 13 who raised over $25 million. Lauren previously served as Booker’s Finance Director for his initial Senate run and subsequent re-election, and as the Campaign Services Director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) helping Senate campaigns realize their fundraising needs. She also worked two cycles at the DCCC, one as Candidate Fundraising Director and one as the Northeast Regional Candidate Services Director, where she helped to elect seven new Members of Congress. In 2006, she was the Finance Director for the Montana Democratic Party where she contributed to the election of now-Senator Jon Tester to the U.S. Senate. In addition to her experience in fundraising, Lauren has worked in field and management positions on multiple local, congressional and statewide campaigns. An Athens, Ohio native, Lauren received her degree in Political Science from Ohio University in 2001.

Cory Fritz leverages his decade-plus experience shaping policy and communications at the highest levels in government for clients facing critical situations. As a managing director in FTI Consulting’s Public Affairs practice, he has built and executed litigation communications plans around sensitive issues for clients operating in an array of sectors – including industrials, technology and telecommunications, and energy.

Cory joined FTI from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he served as Deputy Staff Director and Communications Director. As a member of Chairman Ed Royce’s senior staff, he played a key role in crafting policy, strategy and messaging on key issues involving cross border transactions, development finance, sanctions and national security.

Previously, Cory served six years on the staff of Speaker of the House John Boehner. During his time with the Speaker, Cory held several communications roles, including Press Secretary and Political Communications Director, where he engaged on the record daily with top national reporters, managed coalitions and ran integrated advocacy campaigns.

Cory got his start working as Speechwriter and Assistant Press Secretary for Senator George Voinovich, a member of the powerful Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees. He lives in Washington, D.C. and earned his degree with honors from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

Dr. Ruhil has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Stony Brook University and is a Professor in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. He has published a number of journal articles on questions surrounding minority representation in city council elections in particular and urban politics and policy more generally. At the Voinovich School Dr. Ruhil works as a lead data analyst on a number of grant- and contract-funded applied research projects and program evaluations in the education and public health sectors. He also teaches statistics and data analytics courses for the School’s Master of Public Administration program, and workshops on data analytics and visualization with R for professional audiences.

David Wilhelm is a partner at Hecate Energy, one of North America’s leading developers of utility scale renewable energy and battery storage projects. Wilhelm leads Hecate’s international business efforts, but is most proud of his work in his native Appalachian Ohio, where Hecate has developed a 400 MW solar farm, which will be one of the largest solar projects ever built east of the Mississippi.

Earlier in his career, Wilhelm was a campaign manager for notable American politicians such as William Clinton, Joe Biden, Richard M. Daley, and Paul Simon. After his election to the Presidency in 1992, President Clinton tapped Wilhelm to serve as his first Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Wilhelm is a graduate of Ohio University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and is the recipient of three honorary doctorates.

Please note that this event will not cover any political issues or carry conversations related to political views/stances. This will strictly be a discussion of elections and provide an inside look at political campaigns.