Deb Fiddelke is a guest lecturer in political campaign simulation this fall at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Fiddelke joined Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm, as a senior vice president to lead its Public Affairs practice in Chicago in 2010.
Students will study the roles of campaign staff, hear from campaign experts, discuss and evaluate the current presidential and Nebraska U.S. Senate campaigns to gain an understanding of how the activities of a political campaign parallel the roles and activities for clients in a PR firm. Students will be assigned a fictional candidate for Congress and will develop an integrated campaign plan based on the components of a political campaign to simulate the role of campaign staff.
Most recently, Fiddelke worked on the International and Government Relations efforts for Chicago 2016, the organization coordinating Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. She collaborated with U.S. embassies, international chapters of the American Chambers of Commerce, the White House, Congress and federal agencies to generate IOC support of the bid.
Previously, Fiddelke worked in the White House from 2004-2008 as a member of President George W. Bush’s staff. She served as Deputy Assistant for Legislative Affairs engaged in legislative, policy, communication and strategy development. She also served as the White House point person coordinating legislative strategy with all federal Departments. “
Fiddelke also held several other government positions, which included working on the White House Council on Environmental Quality; as senior policy advisor and communications director for former Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and as press secretary for former Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce of Ohio.
Fiddelke received a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University in 1994 and bachelor’s degrees in both journalism and political science from the University of Nebraska in 1990.
Deb Fiddelke