Our team has worked at every Democratic National Convention since 1996. We have managed over 50 convention events ranging from small gatherings to golf tournaments to parties for more than 1000 guests. We understand every aspect of event management from working with the special requirements of elected officials, executive management, celebrities, sponsors and other VIPs to ensuring that all of your delegates, donors and invited guests have a memorable time at your event.
Francessa wakem cox
Principal
Francessa has influenced political, financial, and issue advocacy for more than two decades. As Managing Partner of Direct Connect Consulting, LLC and Partner and Co-Founder of Cox Petersen LLC, she creates communications, research, fundraising, and event planning solutions for corporate, political, and non-profit organizations.
Francessa’s past projects have included issue advocacy work, first with The MWW Group working on behalf of their corporate clients, and then in the launch of Americans for Gun Safety (AGS) a non-profit created to find practical solutions to the gun safety and ownership debate. Post AGS, Francessa served as a consultant to Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, where she created and expanded successful public-private partnership programs surrounding a variety of issues and causes for clients such as the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the expansion of Library of Congress (LOC) programs.
Francessa started her career in 1993 at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) where she raised funds and managed events for the Clinton Administration and was the Deputy Finance Director. Post the DNC, Francessa’s former clients have included Member of Congress Collin Petersen (D-MN), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), former Members of Congress Mel Watt (D-NC), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Al Wynn (D-MD), James Oberstar (D-MN), and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH). Since 1996, Francessa has also planned events at the national political conventions in Chicago, Boston, New York, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Denver, Charlotte, and Philadelphia for various Fortune 100 companies, trade associations, not for profits and law firms.
LeeAnn Petersen
principal
LeeAnn provides marketing, public relations, fundraising, sponsorship recruitment, event planning and issue advocacy to political, non-profit and corporate clients. She began her career in California working at the local and state level of government before moving permanently to Washington DC to work for U.S. Congressman George E Brown, Jr. (D-CA). She later took a job as Director of Planning and Development with Dutko Worldwide, now one of the most prestigious lobbying and public relations firms in Washington, DC. LeeAnn has produced events and provided support for clients at the national conventions since 1996. Her marquis convention event is batting practice at the host city’s major league baseball stadium to honor the House Energy & Commerce Committee Members and benefit a local charity.
stephanie mellinger
Principal
Stephanie has over 22 years of experience creating, coordinating and executing fundraising plans as well as small and large scale events for politicians, political parties and non-profits. In July, 2001, she started The Mellinger Group, LLC to provide fundraising, campaign and event management services to political candidates and other organizations.
In 1997, Stephanie began working as a junior then senior associate for a prominent political consulting firm in Baltimore. She then became the legislative director for a Maryland State Senator in November, 1999. In April of 2000, Stephanie organized and directed the annual awards gala for the Maryland Democratic Party, at the time the single largest fundraiser for the Party. On the heels of this success, in June, 2000 the Maryland Democratic Party hired Stephanie to be the Finance Director for the 2000 Coordinated Campaign. Stephanie developed and managed the fundraising programs to secure the resources for the campaign and operating budgets totaling $1.1 million for the 2000 Coordinated Campaign and Democratic National Convention activities.
On July 1, 2001, Stephanie founded The Mellinger Group, LLC (TMG). Her first contract was to produce the Annual Maryland Legislative Black Caucus Gala where she doubled the previous fundraising record. TMG has organized and executed finance plans as well as large and small scale events for clients such as Federal Hill Main Street, The Christa Beverly Foundation, multiple events at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Members of Congress Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Collin Peterson (D-MN), former US Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Rushern L. Baker, Democratic Candidate for Georgia Lt. Governor Sarah Riggs Amico, Democratic Candidate for Delaware Lt. Governor Kathy McGuiness, Democratic Candidates for Congress Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Upendra Chivukula (D-NJ) and Swati Dandekar (D-IA), the Pennsylvania and Maryland State Senate Democratic Campaign Committees, Democratic Candidate for Charleston Mayor State Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, Former Members of Congress Bobby Bright (D-AL) and Albert Wynn (D-MD), Mfume for US Senate, Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young and many others.
Donna Rein
Event Consultant
After a successful career spanning over 20 years in healthcare management, Donna now brings her experiences and skills to the Blue Convention team. Donna’s leadership skills have been used most recently in volunteer roles through her children’s schools. Donna has successfully managed numerable live events and online fundraising on behalf of the schools and continues to provide administrative support to schools where she initiated and ran their online auctions and event software.
Most recently, Donna has launched her own LLC demonstrating her entrepreneurial talents, as well as, recently completing her master’s degree. Donna’s hard skills include process management, logistics and time management, contract negotiation, strategic planning, and quality control. Donna’s soft skills includes creativity, communication, and establishing trust with clients, vendors, and teammates.
Donna is most apt at running point on the details and hosts a depth of understanding on how businesses’ function.