POLITICO Playbook - RICK PERRY CAMPAIGN NAMES SENIOR STAFF

FIRST LOOK - Texas Gov. Rick Perry today will announce top members of his presidential campaign staff, which this week moved into offices, in a former steam laundry at 8th and Congress, in downtown Austin: Rob Johnson, campaign manager; David Carney, chief strategist; Deirdre Delisi, policy and strategy director; Wayne Hamilton, political director; Ray Sullivan, communications director; Eric Bearse, deputy communications director; Mark Miner, national press secretary; Robert Black, travel press secretary; and Katherine Cesinger, state press director (working with Texas media).

--Gov. Perry: "I am committed to turning our country back into the land of opportunity as the next president of the United States ... I look forward to working closely with this talented team of experts to take our message to the people of this country and get America working again."

TEAM PERRY:

• Campaign Manager Rob Johnson recently served as senior advisor to Gov. Perry in the Texas Governor's Office. Johnson managed the governor's successful 2010 gubernatorial re-election campaign. Prior to that, he was chief of staff to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and also served as his deputy chief of staff and campaign manager of his 2002 campaign. He also served as chief of staff to Rep. Jay Dickey in Washington. Johnson received bachelor's degrees in political science and public relations from Southern Methodist University.

• Policy and Strategy Director Deirdre Delisi has most recently served as the chair of the Texas Transportation Commission. Delisi has more than 14 years experience in government policy. She was chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to Gov. Perry, and served as his special assistant when he was lieutenant governor. She is a former policy advisor to the presidential campaigns of Lamar Alexander and George W. Bush. Delisi earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Duke and master's in international policy studies from Stanford.

• Political Director Wayne Hamilton is the past executive director of the Republican Party of Texas, where he was the longest serving executive director in party history. Prior to that, he was a senior campaign aide to Rep. Joe Barton. For the past eight years, Hamilton has worked as a consultant, focusing on governmental affairs, corporate public affairs, political consulting, and event and project management, managing projects in 15 states. After the historic Republican victories of 2002, including Gov. Perry's election, Hamilton was executive director of the 2003 Texas Inaugural Committee. In 2007 and 2011, Hamilton was again asked to serve as the executive director of the Inaugural Committees. He is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University.

• Communications Director Ray Sullivan was Gov. Perry's chief of staff at the Texas Capitol. Prior to that, he operated Sullivan Public Affairs, an Austin-based public and government relations firm. Between 1998 and 2002, he worked in various roles for Perry, including deputy chief of staff, communications director to then-Lt. Gov. Perry, and communications director for the 1998 and 2002 campaigns. During the 2000 presidential campaign, Sullivan served as a national spokesman for George W. Bush for President in Austin, including stints in Tallahassee and Broward County during the recount. He worked in the communications office of Bush-Quayle '92, and from 1995 to 1998, Sullivan served as deputy communications director for then-Gov. George W. Bush. He was a political consultant at Karl Rove + Company, and worked for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Rep. Duncan Hunter and Rep. Sam Johnson in Washington. Sullivan graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in business marketing.

• Deputy Communications Director Eric Bearse in 2007 formed Bearse & Company, which provided political and communications consulting services to Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, Comptroller Susan Combs, Attorney General Greg Abbott and Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams. Bearse wrote speeches for Gov. Perry for eight years (1999-2007), including two inaugural addresses, four State of the State addresses, and several Republican State Convention addresses. He has also written speeches for university officials and private citizens, and directed grassroots and media campaigns for private organizations. Bearse worked for six political campaigns in Texas - including Gov. Perry's campaigns for lieutenant governor and governor - and consulted on several political campaigns in the 2008 and 2010 election cycle. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M University, Bearse was a member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets and earned a bachelor's degree in political science.

• National Press Secretary Mark Miner served as communications director for Gov. Perry during the 2011 and 2009 legislative sessions. He was communications director for Gov. Perry's successful 2010 gubernatorial re-election campaign. He previously served as communications director for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, the Republican National Committee, and the Bill Simon for Governor Campaign in California. Miner graduated from Michigan State University in 1987, with a bachelor's degree in communications.

• Travel Press Secretary Robert Black most recently was the director of governmental affairs for American Electric Power. He was Gov. Perry's press secretary and communications director from 2003 to 2008, and directed the governor's communications during his 2006 gubernatorial re-election bid. Previously, Black was communications director for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's successful 2002 campaign, and was communications director for the Republican Party of Texas from 1998-2001. He graduated from the University of Texas - San Antonio.

• State Press Director Katherine Cesinger has worked for Gov. Perry for nearly seven years, most recently as his press secretary at the state capitol. Prior to that, she was deputy press secretary for three years. Cesinger also served as communications director for the Governor's Competitiveness Council, and has worked in the governor's budget, planning and policy division, as well as the office's legislative division. Prior to working in the Texas Governor's Office, she worked for the Louisiana House of Representatives. Cesinger earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Louisiana State University.