Q&A with Lee-Ann Bender
Lee-Ann Bender, Ascent’s Director of Operations, has campaign experience in both Ohio and South Carolina, and she has helped coordinate multiple federal campaigns nationwide during the past several election cycles. Bender worked in both the office of the U.S. Speaker of the House and in U.S. Senator Rob Portman’s office.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I think the most recurring job I kept coming back to was being a history teacher. Other dream jobs typically involved history as well, like being an archeologist or museum curator.
How did you end up involved in politics?
I really wanted to major in History in college, but I felt there was a stigma against it. During my G.E. courses, I discovered that Political Science courses were essentially history courses, and PL SC sounded better than History, so I ran with it. (Talk about effective college planning.)
Alas, once I had too many credits to change majors, I realized that PL SC actually had very little to do with history and that it was still a liberal arts degree with a stigma attached. (Talk about a bait and switch.) After graduating, I promised myself I would try one job in politics before I justified switching fields entirely.
A U.S. Senate campaign hired me, and I really liked the consulting team that managed the race. Almost six years later, I still work for that consulting team.
Tell me your best political story or favorite political memory.
During college, I interned in the Speaker’s office on Capitol Hill. During my internship, the Speaker actually resigned. Watching the next Speaker be sworn in was incredible – I remember feeling the magnitude of the moment and thinking about the role he would play in history.
How do you spend your free time?
I live with four kids under 9; most of my time is spent with or hiding from them.
What is the best concert you’ve attended?
I’ve actually never been to a typical concert, but I do love orchestras. So I’d probably say the Cleveland Orchestra’s Christmas concerts at Severance Hall; my mom and I started a tradition of going after I graduated from college. Being at Severance was like taking a stroll back in time.
Amanda Biundo: Navigating Social Media and Graphic Design
At the age of 29, I remember fondly the internet only being on the cusp of popularity in my formative years – the shared family computer, dial-up, and load times that would undoubtedly cause an aneurysm in our current environment. By the time I hit middle school, MySpace had grown in popularity, followed by Facebook around my freshman year of high school. My first introduction to design was learning HTML to code MySpace backgrounds, then editing my profile pictures to have flashy filters long before Instagram and filters became commonplace.
Okay – but why the blast from the past?
We can only fully understand the grasp the internet age put on all of us by remembering where we’ve been. By the time I graduated high school in 2012, the average worldwide social media user was spending 90 minutes a day on the platforms. By 2022, that number had risen to 147 minutes daily (Statista). Not to mention the average U.S. screen time currently sits at 7 hours and 4 minutes daily (Comparitech data).
For campaigns, your voters spend a massive chunk of time looking at a screen – and so should you. Or, at the very least, your campaign presence should feel like it. Your first impression with a potential voter may be on Facebook or Twitter – you need it to stand out. This is where an effective digital program becomes essential. As much as you would show up to a town hall or meet and greet in professional attire, your online presence is an extension, another professional front.
Investing in graphic design and your digital program as a whole is an investment in yourself and your brand. It is similar to a well-tailored suit jacket or not wearing a button-up with a coffee stain. Putting your best foot forward leaves your voters with a sense of professionalism, that you have your ducks in a row, and that you know what you’re doing. When your voters are spending so much time in front of screens, you do yourself a disservice not to as well.
Sure, you could hop on Google, search for a holiday with the word “graphic” following it, and download the first thing you see – then plop it up on your social platforms and call it a day. Nothing is stopping you from doing that – well, besides that, it is technically illegal, you’ll be stuck with unsightly watermarks, the quality is usually poor, and it won’t emphasize your brand/logo.
Give your voters the best authentic version of yourself, from your messaging to in-person interactions and virtual presence. Utilize your consulting team, advisors, digital team, and graphic designers to help you cross the finish line.
