American Association of Political Consultants Foundation Lake / DiVall Fellowship

Internships and scholarships for women students interested in polling and campaigns

Washington D.C. (April 30, 2024) — The American Association of Political Consultants Foundation is launching the Lake / DiVall Scholarship in honor of trailblazing women pollsters Linda DiVall and Celinda Lake, both recognized in the AAPC Hall of Fame.

“We’re proud to launch this new scholarship program to encourage and support talented young women with a passion for politics and encourage them to explore a career in polling and campaigns,” said Larry Huynh, president of AAPC.

Recipients of the Lake / DiVall Scholarship will have the opportunity to participate in a 9-week, full-time internship placement within a polling firm that is an AAPC member firm. In addition to this invaluable hands-on experience in the field, the scholarship program will make separate direct financial grants to worthy women students interested in a career in politics to provide support for their undergraduate education, as funds permit.

“It’s great that the AAPC Foundation is encouraging young women to explore a career in campaigns and polling by creating a new scholarship and internship program. I couldn't be more honored to have it named after Linda DiVall and myself. That’s the kind of bipartisan respect and collaboration that the country needs more of.” said Celinda Lake, founder of Lake Research Partners. Lake was inducted into the AAPC Hall of Fame this year.

“I am truly honored that the AAPC Foundation has established this intern and scholarship program to guide young women who have an interest in political survey research.

Celinda has been a wonderful partner over the years as we have worked together on numerous bipartisan projects. The respect and collegiality we have for one another is what has made our careers so enjoyable. We could not be more thrilled to see future generations share this kindred spirit” said Linda DiVall, founder of American Viewpoint. DiVall was inducted into the AAPC Hall of Fame in 2021.

Former President of AAPC and Foundation Board Member Rose Kapolczynski spearheaded creating this scholarship program with the support of the Foundation Board of Trustees.

“As a pioneering woman pollster who has risen to work on the most important national Democratic campaigns, Celinda Lake has been a role model for so many women in politics,” said Kapolczynski.

Becki Donatelli, President of the AAPC Foundation, said “Linda’s unwavering determination and innovative approach not only redefined the boundaries of success, but also inspired countless women to break barriers and make their mark in the world of political consulting.”

To learn more about the AAPC Foundation, or to support the next generation of future women in political consulting, click here.

Randall Gutermuth has been named Republican Pollster of the Year by the AAPC

American Viewpoint is proud to announce Randall Gutermuth, American Viewpoint’s President & CEO, has been named Republican Pollster of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC).

“Thank you to the AAPC for this honor,” said Gutermuth. “I’m immensely proud of the work our firm did over the past election cycle and our contribution to taking back a majority in the House. I believe we have the best team in the industry, and this honor wouldn’t be possible without them. I also want to thank all of our clients who put their trust in us every day. We look forward to a successful 2024 cycle and beyond helping our clients win.”

Founded in 1985 by Linda DiVall, the company has established a national reputation for outstanding research in politics, corporate affairs, public policy, and government relations and has helped elect numerous U.S. Senators, Governors, Members of Congress, and other elected officials across the country. In 2022, American Viewpoint conducted surveys in 33 Congressional Districts on behalf of campaigns, CLF, and the NRCC IE, playing a crucial role in delivering a GOP majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, we conducted research for 23 statewide campaigns and ballot measures across 13 states.

AAPC Announces Hall of Fame & President’s Award Recipients - Linda DiVall And Ross Bates

Las Vegas, NV (October 20, 2021) —The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC)—America’s largest and only bipartisan network of political professionals— announced Ross Bates and Linda DiVall as this year’s inductees into the AAPC Hall of Fame. Luis A. Miranda Jr. was also recognized for lifetime achievement with AAPC’s first ever President’s Award. The Awards were presented at a special ceremony in conjunction with the annual AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

Each year the AAPC selects accomplished industry professionals who have amassed a career of achievements that distinguish them amongst their peers for induction into its Hall of Fame, the highest honor that working members of the profession can bestow upon a colleague. Factors such as the honoree’s influence on other political consultants and public affairs professionals, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and commitment to ethical business practices are taken into consideration. AAPC’s President’s Award recognizes lifetime achievement in public service and lasting contributions to the fields of political consulting and issue advocacy. Luis A. Miranda Jr. is the first recipient of this prestigious award.

Previous Hall of Fame inductees include Lee Atwater, David Axelrod, Paul Begala, Charlie Black, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Joseph Cerrell, Wally Clinton, Roger Craver, Morris S. Dees, Thomas Edmonds, Arthur Finkelstein, Joseph Gaylord, David Garth, Bob Goodman, George Gorton, Stanley Greenberg, William Hamilton, Peter D. Hart, Allen Hoffenblum, Gale Kaufman, Eddie Mahe, Jr., Ellen Malcolm, Hal Malchow, Jim Margolis, Minyon Moore, Joe Napolitan, Lyn Nofziger, David Plouffe, Matt Reese, Ed Rollins, Karl Rove, Robert Shrum, Lionel Sosa, Stuart Spencer, Bob Squire, Greg Stevens, Ray Strother, Tony Schwartz, V. Lance Tarrance, Jr., Robert Teeter, Nancy Todd, Paul Tully, Richard Viguerie, F. Clifton White and Dick Woodward.

“We are very excited to announce and honor true visionaries in the field, Linda and Ross, as our Hall of Fame inductees, and Luis as our inaugural President’s Award recipient” said AAPC President Becki Donatelli. “Their accomplishments in the industry set a high bar of achievement for the rest of political consultants to reach for,” added AAPC Vice President Larry Huynh.

Ross Bates (1950-2015) was a pioneer in persuasion mail and modern political consulting. His campaign and advocacy consulting firm developed strategy for clients ranging from local to Presidential campaigns and included advocacy work for environmental and health causes. Ross built strong professional relationships and earned a reputation as a talented, fair, humble advocate for Democratic candidates and causes.

As American Viewpoint’s founder, Linda DiVall has provided effective strategies to both political and corporate clients for 30 years. Linda has conducted research on behalf of the RGA, NRCC, NRSC, RNC as well as NRSC and NRCC IE efforts. Her strategic insight has been utilized on policy issues of Social Security, Medicare, retirement security and healthcare as well as providing guidance to the GOP on strategies to counter the gender gap. Linda has also worked as consultant and analyst for CBS Election Night coverage since 1988.

Luis A. Miranda Jr. is Founding Partner of The MirRam Group, a government affairs, lobbying and political consulting firm in New York City. He has previously served in three New York City mayoral administrations. Mr. Miranda is the Founding President of the Hispanic Federation and past chairman of the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation. He is board chair of the Latino Victory Fund and the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance. He and his family have supported the relief efforts in Puerto Rico following the destruction of Hurricane Maria in September 2017. They have actively fundraised for the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS for Puerto Rico program, raising over $43M to date for community organizations throughout the island.

About the 2021 AAPC Pollie Conference

As the premier industry event, the 2021 AAPC Pollie Conference is held in Las Vegas, Nevada from October 19 – 21, 2021 and bring the leading political professionals in the world together to network and hear from top technology innovators, pollsters, pundits and service providers. The Conference features cutting-edge programming on key industry trends, designed to empower attendees to leverage the latest techniques in campaign strategy and management. The Conference is widely recognized as the must-attend event for political consultants, media buyers, public affairs specialists, suppliers, industry leaders and journalists. For details, visit www.theaapc.org.

About AAPC

Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1,500 members hailing from all corners of the globe. It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. For more information, see www.theaapc.org.

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American Petroleum Industry Woos Women for All Kinds of Jobs - Denver Post

The American Petroleum Institute hired two of the country’s leading researchers, who conducted surveys in six cities, including Denver, about attitudes and perceptions regarding employment in the oil and gas industry. They found that the largest barrier to women seeking jobs in the industry is the lack of knowledge about the opportunities available.