Question 1

Barry Barnes — Partner

Accepted Answer

Barry Barnes has managed public policy and local ballot measure accounts for TBWBH Props & Measures since 1996. In that time, the firm has passed more than 430 public funding measures, resulting in over tens of  billions in voter-approved funding for schools, colleges, libraries, public safety, parks/open space, flood control, bay restoration and transportation improvements in California, Oregon, Montana, Colorado, Maine, and Indiana.   Barnes has served as the lead strategist on many of the firm’s largest public finance campaigns. This has included victories for the first-ever 9 Bay Area county ballot measures, Measure AA in 2016 to fund Bay Restoration and Regional Measure 3 in 2018 to fund regional transportation improvements. Both of these high-profile campaigns were lead by unprecedented coalitions made up of the Bay Area's business, labor, environmental and community organizations. In both of these campaigns, Barnes oversaw daily operations including multi-million dollar budgets, regional media buys, and an on-the-ground field operation in all 9 counties.   In addition, Barry Barnes has managed multiple public finance campaigns in every Bay Area county as well as surrounding counties. Recent wins include transportation sales tax victories in the counties of Santa Clara, Napa, Sonoma, Fresno  and Marin, parks/open space wins in Marin and Sonoma, library measures in Marin,  a San Mateo countywide sales tax for general county operations, and community college measures for Peralta CCD, Chabot-Las Positas CCD, Santa Rosa JC, Napa Valley College, Cabrillo College, and College of Marin.   Prior to joining the firm in 1995, Barry managed school bond efforts and other local campaigns throughout Northern California. He also served as a legislative director at San Jose City Hall for over three years, giving him personal experience with the fiscal challenges facing local elected officials.  Barry was born and raised in Mt. Shasta, California and received his B.A. from California State University, Chico in 1991. He lives in the East Bay with his wife Samantha and sons Abraham and Benjamin.

Question 2

Jared Boigon — Partner

Accepted Answer

Jared Boigon joined TBWBH’s parent firm, Terris Barnes & Walters, in 2001, and helped launch TBWB Strategies in 2005 to focus exclusively on helping public agencies prepare and pass tax measures.    Today, TBWBH Props & Measures is California’s top public revenue campaign firm, having raised tens of billions of dollars in local revenue for schools, colleges, cities, counties, special districts and other public programs in California and a half-dozen other states.   Jared has personally guided over one hundred successful efforts producing voter-approved revenue for school districts, community colleges, cities, counties and special districts. His work includes multiple public education efforts for Los Angeles County agencies, leading to voter approval for various essential programs, including the nation’s largest urban parks funding measure for LA County Regional Parks & Open Space Measure in 2016. He served as General Consultant for CA Props 1 & 2 in 2018, where voters approved a $4 billion statewide affordable housing bond and $2 billion for the No Place Like Home program, which funds permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless living with mental illness.    Jared began working in grassroots campaigns in the early 1990s. He later worked as speechwriter and policy analyst for then-Colorado Governor Roy Romer. He helped pass over a dozen local public finance ballot measures in his home state of Colorado before coming to join TBW in California. Jared graduated cum laude from Amherst College in 1994.   Jared’s extensive experience in political campaigns, from volunteer organizer and campaign manager to media consultant, helped him guide his mother’s successful citywide election to the Denver City Council in Spring 2003, where she outpaced six competitors to win an at-large open seat in her first-ever bid for elected office. (She retired from City Council in 2011.)   Jared, Kimberly and their two daughters live in San Francisco, where he enjoys swimming, bike rides and John LeCarré spy novels.

Question 3

Charles Heath — Partner

Accepted Answer

Over 20 years as a strategy and communications consultant, Charles has guided more than 100 ballot measures to victory. With a background in various political projects, Charles has spent the better part of the last decade with a strict focus on working with public agencies to design winning revenue measures for the ballot and execute strategic public information efforts to position his clients for success at the ballot box. Once a measure is on the ballot, Charles works with advocacy campaign committees to run efficient and effective campaigns to achieve voter approval for ballot measures.   Charles has led campaigns in all parts of California — from large urban environments like Oakland, San Jose and Los Angeles to suburban environments like Marin, Riverside and Orange County to rural and agricultural communities like Plumas County, Truckee and Stanislaus County. Before his career in public finance campaigns, Charles worked as a policy analyst for a public policy think tank, as an aide in the California Legislature and as a reporter for a local newspaper. Charles is a graduate of the University of California at Davis with degrees in Political Science and English, and he earned a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics. Charles grew up in Orange County and now lives in the East Bay with his wife Eva, his son Alexander and his daughter Lillian.

Question 4

Joy Kummer — Partner

Accepted Answer

Joy joined TBWBH Props & Measures in 2010, was promoted to partner in 2018, and brings over 25 years of political, legal and community service experience to each of her clients and causes. Over the past several years, Joy has been successful in helping public agencies in all regions of California develop local public finance measures for the ballot and achieve voter support—raising billions of dollars for counties, community college and other special districts, cities, schools, hospitals and other much-needed community projects.   Part of Joy’s success is in the relationships she builds with her clients, focusing in on their specific needs and working together to build a communication and community plan that allows them to reach their goals. She is known for her can-do attitude, friendly smile and willingness to listen and collaborate as a team to find the right solution.   Joy grew up in Montana, where she received her J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law and a B.A. in Communications from Montana State University–Billings. Before joining the TBWBHProps & Measures team, Joy served as Regional Field Director for Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), and as Field Director for the successful 49ers Stadium Campaign in Santa Clara, CA.   Joy and her husband Todd live in Oakland where they enjoy cheering on the A’s and Cal Bears. Joy is a proud mother and grandmother, occasional yoga instructor, slow and steady distance runner, roller coaster enthusiast and master gluten-free baker.

Question 5

Mitchell Lester — Partner

Accepted Answer

Mitchell Lester has spent his 24-year career advising campaigns, raising money, electing candidates and helping organizations succeed. He joined the firm in October 2019 and specializes in fundraising direct mail, persuasion mail, general consulting and communication services.   Mitchell founded his first company, Lester Connect, in 2007 and provided consulting, direct mail and digital advertising services to California candidates and campaigns. He later expanded his work by opening a fundraising direct mail firm called Rapid Returns in 2010. Along with his co-founder, Mitchell worked closely with high profile campaigns and candidates including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Jeanne Shaheen, Debbie Stabenow, Maggie Hassan, Doug Jones, Jacky Rosen, Patrick Leahy and Mazie Hirono, gubernatorial candidates Kate Brown and Wendy Davis and national committees and unions including the DSCC, DLCC and AFSCME.    Before going out on his own, Mitchell worked at the political consulting firm, Terris, Barnes & Walters (TB&W), serving as a strategic advisor and direct mail consultant to candidates and campaigns. He is also the former West Region Political Director for EMILY’s List, where he assessed, developed and implemented the strategy, message, infrastructure, budget, fundraising and field activities of pro-choice Democratic women’s campaigns.   Mitchell was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, graduated from the University of Maryland and lived in San Francisco for fourteen years. Today, he lives with his wife and two children in Santa Monica, California.

Question 6

Michael Terris — Partner

Accepted Answer

Michael Terris received his professional training from some of America’s most prestigious political media firms. After returning to his native San Francisco, Terris founded Terris Communications in the summer of 1988. Over the decades, the firm has grown and branched out across California and the rest of the country. Terris is actively involved in marketing, creative, message development, earned media and targeting for a wide variety of the firm’s clients. He remains committed to hands-on, personal service for his clients, large and small.   His work on TBWBH Props & Measures has included two statewide measures in 2018: Propositions 1 to pass a $6 billion statewide affordable housing bond measure and Proposition 2 to fund $2 billion worth of bonds to provide housing and mental health services for the homeless. He worked on Regional Measure 3, a nine county Bay Area measure to fund transportation by raising bridge tolls. He has also spearheaded numerous other ballot measures across Northern California for many districts including bond, parcel tax and sales tax measures for Santa Rosa Jr College, Valley Transportation Authority and parks and transportation measures for Santa Cruz County among others.

Question 7

Erica Walters — Partner

Accepted Answer

Prior to joining TBWBH Props & Measures (formerly TBWB Strategies) in early 1998, Erica Walters received her political training in the trenches of over 30 campaigns throughout the country. Walters became a partner in 2003.   Today, Walters specializes in ballot measures, independent expenditure campaigns and federal races. She recently earned the nickname “landslide” for a nail-biting 2018 victory in a transportation tax measure in San Mateo County by 543 votes out of 180,895. She is also helping public agencies navigate the COVID epidemic today. Previously, she helped the State of Oregon pass progressive tax reform despite serious hurdles presented by the recession. Measures 66 & 67 helped stabilize the state economy and provide much-needed funding for schools, without negative consequences for in-state businesses. She has also worked on an open space measure in Montana, a sales tax campaign in Santa Cruz and for the Santa Clara County Water District.    Walters lives in San Francisco with her husband, Mark. She has two poorly-behaved cats and three much better behaved stepsons. She enjoys cooking, hiking, playing mahjongg and travel.

Question 8

Rochelle Fanali — Senior Consultant

Accepted Answer

Rochelle Fanali joined TBWBH Props & Measures in April of 2016, bringing more than 25 years of campaign experience, public affairs and strategic communications expertise in public education, public finance, transportation funding, and a wide variety of issues. Rochelle has played a key leadership role in dozens of successful local and statewide campaigns in California, including managing campaigns for local school bonds, parcel taxes and sales tax measures, the campaign to pass the then-largest school construction bond in U.S. history, and a successful campaign to pass $18.5 billion in a new statewide gas tax and transportation bonds, among others. A southern California native, Rochelle has been an active volunteer in her community and in the education community statewide where she has been recognized for her pro bono advocacy work as a recipient of California State PTA's Honorary Service Award and the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica Yellow Rose Award for Education.  Rochelle is a native Angeleno, and still loves living in the city, spending time with her son and daughter, and enjoying all the beauty and diversity southern California has to offer.

Question 9

Robin Gerrity — Senior Consultant

Accepted Answer

Robin joined TBWBH Props & Measures in March 2018, bringing a wealth of knowledge in strategic communications, project management and education policy.    Many of Robin’s projects have been with school districts to develop bond and parcel tax measures to help fund school construction and close the gap in funding academic programs in public education. Robin has also worked with cities and counties on measures to fund public health and safety initiatives, including an initiative that will fund proactive wildfire prevention and preparedness efforts and increase public safety from deadly wildfires.      Robin is known for her “we’re all in this together” mentality with her clients and believes the key to a successful campaign is recognizing the strengths of each committee member, creating an environment for collaboration, and motivating the team through our strategic process to bring home a WIN!     With a degree in Public Administration from San Diego State University, Robin spent many years working in the public education field as the Executive Director of Can Do! Education Foundation where she worked directly with the parent community and district administration team to streamline resources to local students. No stranger to local parcel tax and bond campaigns, Robin co-chaired multiple campaigns on behalf of her local school district, resulting in millions of dollars to benefit local students. Her unique knowledge of client’s needs arising from her personal experience makes Robin a perfect fit for Props & Measures.   Robin is a resident of San Rafael and, when not traveling to see her three daughters in various corners of the US, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors and keeping up-to-date on anything and everything related to sports.

Question 10

Jeremy Hauser — Senior Consultant

Accepted Answer

A Bay Area native, Jeremy grew up in Oakland and Moraga and attended UC Davis, where he earned degrees in both Political Science and Communication, graduating with honors in each.   Before joining the firm, Jeremy worked in Washington DC for a top polling firm where he learned the incredible power of sound analytics and gained significant insight into the art of targeted messaging. He also spent an election cycle working in Denver on a highly politicized and heavily contested school board race. Leading his candidate to a sweeping victory, Jeremy saw firsthand the benefits of a diligent and unrelenting grassroots effort and how pounding the pavement can truly move the numbers in a local race.   Since joining TBWBH Props & Measures more than six years ago, Jeremy has focused his skillset on securing much-needed funding for schools, housing and public transit. Jeremy rarely works with a client only once — his clients value his ability to develop meaningful relationships and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and work tirelessly to execute a winning strategy. His creative approach to multimedia communication — blending traditional direct mail concepts with new media strategies like social media, pre-roll and programmatic digital — has helped his clients stand out from the crowd and win hard-fought races. And as a former Field Organizer, he takes a very hands-on approach in designing effective grassroots campaigns. His clients win in the mailbox, online and at the doors.    Jeremy lives in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. In his free time, he loves being around family and friends, trying his hand at pick-up sports, listening to live music and exploring the natural beauty of the Bay Area.

Question 11

Lucy Martikyan – Consultant

Accepted Answer

Lucy joined TBWBH Props & Measures in 2019, bringing with her more than a decade of experience running campaigns in congressional, statewide, and state legislative elections, as well as local ballot measure campaigns. In her time with the firm, she has helped pass several public finance measures, most notably securing a major victory for a city sales-tax measure that was crushed at the polls just two years earlier. She has worked extensively with community leaders, labor unions, and elected officials in fighting for policies and programs that provide a better quality of life for underserved communities and working-class families across California.    Previously Lucy cut her teeth in politics working for SG&A Campaigns, a Southern California-based firm with a track record of winning highly contested races throughout the state. As a campaign manager and consultant, Lucy has helped elect a myriad of highly qualified candidates who have been instrumental in making California the 5th largest economy in the world and a leader of U.S environmental policy. In 2016, she received the Southern California Environmental Leadership Award as a member of SG&A Campaigns.   Lucy is a lifelong Angelino and currently resides in the San Fernando Valley. She graduated at the top of her class from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs with a Masters in Public Policy and was awarded Departmental Honors on the strength of her feasibility study for the Los Angeles Police Department. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering for organizations that fight to end homelessness in LA County. Lucy also loves playing sports with her niece and nephews and hopes they someday become Chelsea FC fans as well.

Question 12

Alex Wara-Macapinlac — Consultant

Accepted Answer

While born and raised in California’s Central Valley, Alex Wara-Macapinlac moved to the Bay Area and now considers it home. She brings years of experience on campaigns, policy and community relations.   Since joining TBWBH Props & Measures, Alex has worked on numerous measures, generating over $6 billion in funds in the areas of affordable housing, K-12 school bonds and parcel taxes, city special taxes and community college bonds. In 2018, she helped pass Props 1 and 2, the statewide affordable housing bonds that helped create homes for veterans, seniors, and families and helped create permanent, supportive housing for the mentally ill and those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.   Her favorite part of the job is interacting with clients and helping them develop a path to victory. Her work ethic and laugh are contagious and make her a perfect fit for clients that are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work for their community. Alex knows that the best client and consultant relationships are the ones where the full team has input, and everyone has a seat at the table.   Alex is also no stranger to the public sector, prior to TBWBH Props & Measures, she served as Deputy District Director for CA State Senator Jim Beall. While there she worked on K-12 education policy issues, higher education issues, women’s rights issues, and was a liaison to numerous agencies in Santa Clara County — ranging from cities to special districts as well as labor and chamber groups.   She is a graduate of San Jose State University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in American Studies. Go Spartans!   Alex lives in Campbell, California with her husband and dog. In her free time, she enjoys checking out new breweries, binge watching reality TV and spending time with friends and family.

Question 13

Chidire Ezeh — Consultant

Accepted Answer

Chidire is Nigerian-American and spent his formative years living in Nairobi, Kenya. It was this cross-cultural exposure that ultimately defined his love for politics and led him to earn a degree in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College.   Since joining the TBWBH Props & Measures Team in 2019, Chidire has worked closely with clients to help pass public finance measures – addressing issues ranging from improved education and school safety to infrastructure repairs and preserving public safety and health.   Before joining the TBWBH Props & Measures team, Chidire had the opportunity to intern with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the UN Headquarters in New York, where he learned about the world’s most pressing health crises and the importance of local efforts in addressing community needs. During his studies, he also worked with the Mayor Fund for Los Angeles on the City’s Sustainable Development Initiative, where he gained first-hand experience connecting stakeholders across different sectors and discovered his passion for local politics, community engagement, and public policy.   In his personal time, Chidire stays up-to-date with current events, enjoys live music and the great outdoors.

Question 14

Eric Tallman – Associate

Accepted Answer

Eric was born and raised in western Massachusetts before heading to Minnesota to receive his B.A. in Economics from Carleton College. After graduating college, Eric worked in economic research at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, before turning back to his original love — politics. Eric comes to Props & Measures with experience on a variety of congressional and national campaigns, including working as an Organizer in New Hampshire for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential run. When not working with clients or building volunteer teams, Eric loves hiking, eating at different hole-in-the-wall restaurants and enjoying all that San Francisco has to offer.

Question 15

Josef Topete – Associate

Accepted Answer

After a formative trip to Washington D.C. in high school to lobby elected officials for progressive policies, Josef developed a passion for politics. This led him to study Public Policy as an undergrad at the University of Southern California and stay an extra year to get his Master’s in Public Administration. Prior to joining the Props & Measures team, Josef interned for elected officials Congressman Adam Schiff and Senator Robert Hertzberg. Once he graduated college, Josef joined the Ammar Campa-Najjar Campaign for Congress as an intern and got a glimpse into campaign work. After this experience, he was drawn to the idea of helping create winning campaigns that would manifest positive changes in their communities. In his free time, Josef likes to play Settlers of Catan with his family and friends, discuss all things Lakers and Dodgers and discover new ramen spots.

Question 16

Rachel Heimann – Associate

Accepted Answer

A San Francisco native, Rachel joins the firm after getting her start in politics in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Duke University with a degree in Public Policy, Rachel worked at National Journal where she helped government affairs teams develop advocacy campaigns and outreach strategies to advance their company's lobbying efforts. During the 2020 campaign cycle, Rachel worked at the Democratic Super PAC American Bridge 21st Century as a political opposition researcher on their Senate team. Driven by her love of dim sum and hatred of D.C. summers, Rachel moved back to San Francisco and joined Props & Measures. Outside of work you can find Rachel doing the New York Times crossword puzzle, binge watching reality TV and writing parody songs.

Question 17

David Tick — Partner/Business Manager

Accepted Answer

David has been a partner and longtime Business Manager for the firm. He’s responsible for the firm’s finances, HR, office management and political reporting. His route to the firm was circuitous: degrees in History and Rhetoric from Cal, a decade-plus at the American Arbitration Association (most of that time helping run it’s San Francisco Arbitration Department), followed by a jump to Terris, Barnes & Walters, now TBWBH Props & Measures, as Business Manager.   David lives in the East Bay with his wife Amy, a Cal instructor. An avid cyclist, David spends what time he can touring the Berkeley/Oakland hills and the Bay Trail.

Question 18

Dan Dimendberg — Partner/Production Manager

Accepted Answer

Raised in Israel and Connecticut, Dan grew up with a strong interest in both American and global politics. After graduating college in 2003, he moved to Washington, DC to attend the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. During college and grad school, Dan spent his breaks leading state legislative and Congressional campaigns and field programs in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Dakota.  In 2005, seeking a change from Washington, DC life, culture and dress code, Dan moved to California and organized for various candidates and ballot measure campaigns ranging from the $4 billion Los Angeles school bond, Measure Y, to leading a League of Conservation Voters Independent Expenditure campaign.   Dan joined Terris, Barnes & Walters, now TBWBH Props & Measures, in July 2007 as an Account Executive and transitioned into his current role as Production Manager before becoming a Partner in 2012. As Production Manager, he maintains a nationwide network of print and mail vendors and works with them to ensure projects are completed on time and meet Props & Measures high standards with regards to quality and efficiency.    Dan currently lives in San Francisco and spends his spare time coaching and training with aspiring long distance runners and enjoying the best food, drinks and music the City has to offer.

School Bond Measures – Parcel Tax Measures – Sales Tax Measures – Public Information Campaigns

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