Jeff Link works as an Iowa-based political and public affairs consultant with a deep background in government and politics at the state and federal levels in the U.S. and abroad.  Link’s experience in government, paid media strategy, research and crisis communications and offers a strong background for clients.Link’s work in campaigns has dovetailed with his experience in government.  After successfully managing Sen. Tom Harkin’s 1996 reelection campaign, Link served in Washington, D.C. as Sen. Harkin’s Chief of Staff from 1997 until 1999.  In 1999 Link returned to Iowa to obtain his law degree from Drake University.  He graduated in 2002 with honors and won the National Moot Court Championship in New York City in 2001.During law school, Link founded Link Strategies, ran the Gore-Lieberman 2000 campaign in Iowa and began managing Senator Harkin’s 2002 reelection campaign.  Senator Harkin was reelected to a fourth term in November 2002 and Link’s work in the campaign was recognized by the American Association of Political Consultants with a Pollie Award for combining technology with grassroots organizing.  Link recently served as a media consultant to the Obama for President Campaign, coordinating branding,  all paid media and polling in 25 states, including seven battleground states (VA, NC, FL, CO, NM, NV, MT), and directed Sen. Harkin’s 2008 reelection campaign.  Link has experience with state government having served as executive assistant to Speaker Robert W. O’Donnell of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1991 until 1994.  In 1995, Link successfully directed the Speaker and Majority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates efforts to retain their majority in 1995.Link’s political work has also taken him to Aruba, where he managed the opposition party in Aruba’s parliamentary elections.  The election, saw the opposition party, the Aruba Volks Party, win a plurality, form a government and elect Henny Eman as Prime Minister.

Matt Paul has more than ten years experience working in public affairs at the local and state level. Paul began his career as a reporter in television and radio in Cedar Rapids. In 1994, he joined the staff of Mayor Larry Serbousek, serving as the city’s primary spokesperson. He was asked to continue in that role after the election of Mayor Lee R. Clancey in 1996. Paul dramatically increased the exposure and understanding of city government by producing the first citizen’s annual report, negotiated a new telecommunications franchise and spearheaded what would become the city’s first website. Voters in Cedar Rapids retained the city’s unique form of government in 1997 and re-elected Mayor Clancey.

In 1998, Paul was asked to serve on the transition team of Governor-elect Tom Vilsack. After inaugural activities, he joined the Administration and served in several key positions including Press Secretary, Communications Director and Senior Advisor. Paul authored and implemented the strategic communications plan of the Iowa Values Fund, which resulted in passage of the largest and most successful economic development program in the state’s history. Paul also led Governor Vilsack’s successful bid to host the 2005 National Governors Association meeting in Des Moines.

Paul also has experience in state and national politics. He served as Assistant to Governor Tom Vilsack in his successful 2002 reelection campaign, directing advance and press across the state. In 2004, Paul was tapped to serve as Deputy State Director for Governor Howard Dean’s groundbreaking presidential campaign. Paul served as Campaign Manager for Mike Blouin’s gubernatorial campaign in 2006, raising nearly $2 million dollars and securing a majority of the labor and newspaper endorsements.

Brad Anderson got his start doing research on Sen. John Edwards' 1998 successful run for U.S. Senate. 

Following the Edwards campaign, Brad moved to Washington, D.C. to help lead the Bush-Cheney business and ethics research operation at the Democratic National Committee, as well as lead the Cheney vice-presidential nomination rapid response.  The response was praised by the national media:

Following the 2000 campaign, Brad became U.S. Senator Tom Harkin's research director on his successful 2002 re-election campaign.  From there, he began working with Jeff Link at Link Strategies as a research and communications consultant on several successful local and statewide races throughout the country. 

In August 2004, Brad returned to Washington, D.C. to once again do self-research for Sen. Edwards as he was chosen as candidate for Vice President.  Following the 2004 election, Brad returned to Link Strategies, and in August 2006 became Communications Director for then-Secretary of State Chet Culver's successful campaign for Governor of Iowa.  Brad served as Governor Culver's Communications Director and chief spokesperson from August 2006 through May 2008, when he returned to Link Strategies as a partner in the firm.  Following Brad's return, he has since handled several research projects and served as President Barack Obama's Iowa Communications Director for the General Election of the presidential campaign. 

Molly Scherrman is originally from Farley, Iowa (home of the Palace of Speed). Scherrman began work in Iowa politics during the 2002 election as a canvasser and later became the campus organizer for Iowa State University. Upon graduation in 2004 she became part of Iowans for Vilsack/Pederson and began fundraising. In 2005 Scherrman became the Finance Director for the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) and the Iowa Democratic Coordinated Campaign, working closely with the Chair to raise over $3.5 million.

In 2006 Scherrman left the IDP to work on Senator Tom Harkin’s successful 2008 re-election campaign as the Iowa Finance Director. Molly’s expertise in political management extends beyond development and fundraising, and she continues to advise clients on a range of issues important to running a successful organization.

Alissa Brammer,a Des Moines native, graduated from Connecticut College in 2006 and has worked in government politics ever since. After two summers with EMILY’s List in Washington D.C., Brammer returned to Iowa to work in research on Chet Culver’s successful 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

Following the election, Brammer worked in the press department of the Culver/Judge Transition Office and then as the Communications Assistant in Governor Culver’s Administration. Brammer joined Link Strategies as a researcher in May 2008 and took a brief hiatus to work on Senator Tom Harkin’s 2008 re-election campaign before returning to Link Strategies.

Zach Edwards got started in web-based research while based in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2006 . After a stint as a part-time political blogger and local democratic volunteer, he joined the Obama campaign in early 2007 as an intern organizing North-West Las Vegas. In September 2007, Zach joined the Obama New Media department as co-director of the Nevada New Media team and then moved on to direct New Media operations in five other primary states (New Mexico, Texas, North Carolina, and South Dakota).

During the 2008 General Election, Zach was the Iowa Director of New Media. In this capacity, he worked closely with communications, research and field operations to provide cutting-edge organizing tools and new media-based opposition research; which was emulated in battleground states across the country. After the election, Zach began working at Link Strategies as the Director of New Media, where he provides innovative web-based research tools, video analysis and production, and web-based communication tools to assist our clients.