Senator Jon Tester announces Montana staff positions

Sen. Jon Tester today announced several more members of his Montana staff. All will work out of Tester’s field offices across the state.

Butte Field Director: Connie Ternes Daniels

An Anaconda native, Daniels most recently served as Regional Economic Development Planner for Headwaters Resource Conservation & Development. She was an Anaconda-Deerlodge County Commissioner from 2002 until December of 2006. She also served the commission from 1987 through 1990. Daniels holds a degree in public policy from Montana Tech.

Montana Scheduler: Jeanne Forrester

Forrester is a former Field Representative for Montana Congressman Pat Williams. She also worked as Tester’s administrative assistant in the Montana Legislature. Forrester, a native of Eastern Montana, will work out of the Billings office.

Field Representative/State Grants Coordinator: Deborah Frandsen

Frandsen, a Missoula resident, worked on Tester’s finance staff during his successful Senate campaign. Frandsen previously served as development director of Missoula Aging Services from 2001 to 2004. She formerly worked on Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign and helped Mark O’Keefe’s gubernatorial campaign in Montana in 2000. Frandsen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College.

Field Representative: Jennifer Hensley

Hensley, who currently serves as interim president of the Big Sky Democrats, lives in Butte. The Townsend native is a former paralegal for the McCarthy law firm. She holds a B.A. in Cell and Molecular Biology and Chemistry from the University of Montana.

Bozeman Field Director: Jennifer Madgic

Madgic has served as the Gallatin County Planning Director since 2002. Before that she worked as a county land use planner. Madgic is a former Montana Senate legislative aide and a former reporter for the Park Record in Park City, Utah. Madgic holds a master’s degree in Community Planning from the University of Rhode Island.

Field Representative: David Oberembt

Oberembt spent most of 2006 working in Billings for the Montana Democratic Party, assisting in Tester’s U.S. Senate campaign. Oberembt has worked two sessions of the Montana Legislature, the first as an intern, the second as an aide in the office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. Oberembt, a Miles City native, holds a master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education from Montana State University.

Assistant to State Director: Stacey Parenteau

Parenteau worked for Tester as Deputy Political Director during Tester’s Senate campaign. The Havre native is a former intern for Tester when Tester served in the Montana Senate. Parenteau earned a B.A. in Political Science from Montana State University, where she was president of the College Democrats. She will work out of Tester’s Helena office.

Missoula Field Director: Tracy Stone-Manning

Stone-Manning, a former volunteer on Tester’s Senate campaign, has served as Executive Director of the Clark Fork Foundation in Missoula since 1999. She is also the founding editor of Headwaters News, a daily online news website based at the Center for the Rocky Mountain West. Stone-Manning holds a master’s degree in Science from the University of Montana.

Deputy State Director: Dayna Swanson

Swanson served Tester’s Senate campaign in Missoula as a regional director for the Montana Democratic Party. She previously worked as a renewal underwriter for Big Sky Underwriters. Swanson also aided Nancy Keenan’s Congressional campaign in 2000, and worked as a coordinator for the Montana Women Vote Project in 2002. Swanson has a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Montana.

"I’m excited to have these people on board serving the people of Montana. They are well-qualified, well-respected, they know Montana and will serve its people well," Tester said.

He is currently filling positions in Great Falls, Kalispell and Glendive.

Tester previously announced two other members of his staff who will also work in Montana:

State Director: Bill Lombardi

Lombardi will work out of Tester’s Helena office. He managed Tester’s U.S. Senate primary campaign and served as Political Director on Tester’s general election campaign. For six years Lombardi worked for Sen. Max Baucus as Communications Director. In 2005, Lombardi served as Secretary of the Montana Senate under then-Senate President Tester. Before entering politics Lombardi was an award-winning journalist, and served as Bureau Chief for Lee Newspapers in Montana. Lombardi received a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Press Secretary: Aaron Murphy

Murphy will work out of Tester’s Billings office. He is a former Executive Producer for KTVQ-TV in Billings. He served as Deputy Communications Director on Tester’s campaign. Murphy also produced morning news for KGW-TV in Portland, Ore., and worked as the Portland Bureau Coordinator for Northwest Cable News. Murphy, a former Yellowstone Park Ranger, received his B.S. in Journalism from the University of Montana.

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CONTACT: Matt McKenna, 202-224-2644

Aaron Murphy, 406-252-0291