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About the RSLC

The Republican State Leadership Committee's mission is to elect more Republicans at the state level, including Attorneys General, Lieutenant Governors, Secretaries of State, and State Legislators. The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the Country.

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Tim Barnes
Chairman of the Board

Timothy J. Barnes has over 20 years of experience in national and state politics. He started his career at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Republican National Committee. At the committees, he served as Deputy Finance Director and Director for Major Donor Programs, respectively. During this time, He worked with federal and state campaign offices on political and finance operations. Tim also served as Director of Development for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC). He worked closely with corporate contributors to assist them with policy initiatives at the USCC and with state and local Chambers of Commerce.

Tim served as Executive Director for the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) from 2000 to 2002. He was responsible for the RAGA's fundraising, political spending, strategy, and tactics in attorneys general races across the country. In 2002, Tim founded the RSLC and the State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF). The SGLF is dedicated to educating elected or appointed state government officials on a wide range of public policy issues.

Tim served as Executive Director for the RSLC from 2002 - 2007, overseeing all major donor and direct marketing fundraising, expenditures of millions of dollars each year, political strategy and message development in attorney general, state legislative, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state races across the country. Tim currently serves as Chairman of the Board at the RSLC.

Tim is a graduate of Creighton University and currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska with his wife and three children.

 

Scott Ward
President & General Counsel

Scott Ward serves as President and General Counsel of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), the nation’s largest caucus of Republican state leaders. Scott is an expert on campaign finance law and government ethics.

Prior to joining the RSLC, Scott served as an Associate at Arent Fox, focusing on political law in the areas of campaign finance, election law, lobbyist registration and reporting, and government ethics. Scott is also the General Counsel for and serves on the Executive Committee of the D.C. Republican Party. Prior to his legal career, Scott worked as Field Director for Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee and on Capitol Hill on the majority staff of the House Budget Committee.

Scott has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Richmond and a J.D. from Wake Forest University.

 

 

Staci Goede
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer

Staci has worked with the RSLC since its founding in 2002. She currently serves as Chief Financial and Operating Officer, overseeing the committee’s budget, compliance and operational procedures. Prior to joining the RSLC, Staci traveled as a field representative for the College Republican National Committee strengthening and establishing college chapters throughout the Southwest and Midwest. Staci received her B.A. in Political Science and Political Communications from Valparaiso University.


 

Erica Astleford Sechrist
Finance Director

Erica Sechrist is Finance Director for the RSLC and has been a part of the organization since 2001. Prior to joining the RSLC, she served as a corporate fundraiser at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) under U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell. Erica is a native Californian, and graduated from the University of San Diego with a B.A. in Business Administration.


 

Kate Reed
Deputy Finance Director/RAGA Program Director

Kate Reed serves as RSLC Deputy Finance Director and RAGA Program Director. She joined the RSLC in 2006 while completing her Masters of Professional Studies at the George Washington School of Political Management. Before working for the RSLC, Kate served as an analyst for the Minority Leader in the West Virginia Legislature. Kate resides in Alexandria with her husband and son.


 

Jill Pasqualetto
RLCC Program Director

Jill Pasqualetto serves as the Program Director for the RLCC. Prior to joining the RSLC, she managed successful PAC fundraising programs for U.S. House of Representatives incumbents and candidates. Born and raised in California, she received her BA in International Relations from the University of San Diego.


 

Danielle Muckley
RLGA/RSSC Program Director

Danielle Muckley joined RSLC Finance Team in 2008 and currently serves as the Program Director for the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association and Republican Secretaries of State Committee. Born and raised in Ohio, Danielle moved to Washington D.C. after interning at the Republican Governors Association. Danielle graduated from Kent State University with a B.B.A. in Marketing.


 

Amy Wells
Director of Operations

Amy Wells serves as the Director of Operations and has been a part of the RSLC since 2008. A Virginia native, Amy is a 2008 graduate of Virginia Tech where she received bachelor’s degrees in English and Communications. In her free time, Amy enjoys spending her summer weekends at the beach with friends and cheering on her beloved Hokies in the fall.


 
 

Mike Anton
Director of Marketing

Mike Anton has been the Director of Marketing for the RSLC since 2006.  Prior to joining the RSLC, Mike worked at IBM Business Consulting Services in the Strategic Change sector where he developed technological and organizational change strategies for corporations, government entities, and international and state agencies.
Previously, Mike served as National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Deputy Finance Director; Republican National Committee (RNC) Major Donor Program Director and NRSC Major Donor Direct Marketing Director. In these roles, he was responsible for communications between existing and prospective members and the committee. Mike holds a MBA from The George Washington University and a Bachelor degree in Political Science from University of Colorado. He also currently serves as Vice Mayor of Clifton, Virginia.


 

Ben Cannatti
Political Director

A native Texan, Ben gained early experience working on federal, state, and local campaigns across the United States in the 1990s. From 2000 to 2002, he served as Political Director for the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA). In that capacity, Ben was responsible for the RAGA’s political spending, strategy, and tactics in attorneys general races across the country.

Ben has been the RSLC’s Political Director since the group’s inception in 2002.  Working with the RSLC political staff, Ben oversees the expenditure of millions of dollars each year and developing the committee’s political strategy and tactics in attorneys general, state legislative, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state races across the country.


 

Casey Phillips
Regional Political Director

Prior to joining the RSLC as Regional Political Director in 2009, Casey Phillips gained experience as Field Representative for the National Republican Congressional Committee overseeing races in 19 States during 2008. A veteran campaigner, Phillips has logged over 200,000 miles crisscrossing the United States serving as campaign manager, press secretary, political director and general consultant for local, statewide and federal campaigns.

A native South Dakotan, Phillips enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time on the family cattle ranch where he was raised. Before turning pro in politics Phillips competed in NCAA football as a center for the University of Wyoming Cowboys and Augustana College Vikings where he earned a degree in Government and International Affairs.


 

Michael Luethy
Regional Political Director

Michael Luethy serves as Regional Political Director for the RSLC after gaining experience on campaigns of all levels. He has served as general consultant, campaign manager, finance director, and caucus director for US Senate, Attorney General, US House, State House, and local campaigns. Michael earned an M.A. from the University of Florida’s Political Campaigning Program and a B.A. in Political Science from Bob Jones University. He and his wife reside in Raleigh, North Carolina.


Adam Temple
Press Secretary

Adam Temple has worked with with a number of political campaigns, businesses and advocacy groups to create media strategies that utilize winning messages and creative tactics. He served as S.C. Press Secretary for the John McCain 2008 Presidential campaign. Prior to working for Senator McCain, he was U.S. Senator Jim DeMint’s (R-S.C.) press secretary and spokesman. Adam began his career at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) where he was Deputy Press Secretary during the successful 2002 and 2004 election cycles. He is from Greenville, South Carolina and graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in Journalism/Public Relations.


Robert Sechrist
Director of New Media

Robert Sechrist joined the RSLC in 2007 and now serves as the Director of New Media. Prior to joining the RSLC, Robert worked on the Van Hilleary for U.S. Senate and the Jack Johnson for State Senate campaigns in Tennessee. When not working, you can find Robert playing a round of golf and watching the Tennessee Titans and Volunteers play football in the fall. Robert graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.A. in Political Science.


 
 

Contact Us

Republican State Leadership Committee
1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 230
Alexandria, VA 22314
p: 571-480-4860
f: 571-480-4890