Tom Bowen, Managing Partner, started New Chicago Consulting after a decade of experience in some of the top races across the country. He focuses on all aspects of successful organizations including management, self-assessments, communications, and public affairs.
He has managed six campaigns ranging from Chicago City Council to U.S. Senate and has worked and consulted on more than 75 local and federal races across the country, including the 2008 presidential campaign for Barack Obama. In 2011, Tom was the deputy campaign manager for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s first new mayor in 22 years. He later established and managed his leadership political campaign committee. In 2019 and 2023, he served as a senior member of the campaign for Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot.
Tom regularly provides commentary as an expert source on political issues for Chicago-based media organizations and is often quoted in national publications for his expertise in politics. He has provided commentary and analysis for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Journal, POLITICO, Newsweek, and the NY Daily News.
He lives in Oak Park, Illinois with his wife Aviva and their daughter.
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Christina Nowinski Wurst, Managing Partner, established the fundraising services of New Chicago Consulting in 2014. Christina has spent over a decade focusing on development for nonprofits and political races for federal, state and local offices. She manages finance operations for clients raising funds in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the country.
Some of her most notable projects include Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, and Congressman Mike Quigley. She’s also worked on projects including U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis prior to her time with NCC.
Christina also serves as the Co-Executive Director of the Illinois Women's Institute for Leadership Training Academy with the New Chicago team. Prior to her independent work, Christina served in a leadership role with Nancy Kohn Consulting, a national fundraising firm headquartered in Chicago.
A native Chicagoan, she and her husband are raising their toddler "twinblings" and newborn in Logan Square.
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Tracy Mayfield, Managing Partner, has spearheaded a variety of high profile fundraising projects for NCC. She was a key advisor during the effort of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s stunning victory in the 2019 runoff election and 2023 reelection effort, led the 2018 Attorney General finance operation of Illinois Deputy Governor Jesse Ruiz, and coordinated the 2018 Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation Gala.
Prior to joining NCC in 2017, Tracy served as a Senior Advisor at Progressive Turnout Project. In the 2015-16 cycle, she worked at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as a Regional Candidate Fundraising Director. In this role, she helped top-tier congressional races in the Midwest launch, staff up, and reach fundraising goals, as well as coordinated national surrogate travel.
Before that, she worked on the fundraising staff of four multi-million dollar campaigns in northern Illinois, including as the Finance Director on Congressman Brad Schneider's winning 2012 campaign and record-setting 2014 campaign. Tracy currently serves on Haymarket Center’s Associate Board.
Briana Collins, Partner, brings 20 years of experience in nonprofit, small business, public sector, community programming, and events management to the team. Prior to her move to Chicago in 2012, Briana worked in New York City politics, appointed as the Executive Director to the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues in 2007 and later serving as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Mayor, where her portfolio included oversight of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, NYC Department of Records, Civil Service Commission, and Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. In addition to the number of political campaigns on which she’s worked, including serving as Illinois’ Director of Operations for Mike Bloomberg’s 2020 Presidential campaign, her other notable projects with the New Chicago team include her work with the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus Foundation and the Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation.
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Mike Boehm, Finance Associate, grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and earned a Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2019. Following college, Mike worked as Finance Director of the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Mike was a bargaining team lead for Montana Democratic Party employees, and secured a union contract with IBEW Local 206 in 2021.
Lily Gray, Finance Associate, grew up in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with BAs in Political Science and Journalism. She moved to Chicago after graduation and, during the 2022 election cycle, worked for Progressive Turnout Project helping democrats win state legislative races in the South. When she's not working, she is probably doing a crossword puzzle, painting, or eating cheese!
Maddie Jackson, Finance Associate, graduated from Loyola Chicago in 2022 with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. Maddie spent time interning in Alderwoman Maria Hadden’s office and for the Missouri Democratic Party while studying at Loyola. Prior to college, Maddie volunteered with many campaigns in her hometown St. Louis.
Sofia Rodriguez, IWIL Training Academy Program Director, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022 with a BA in Political Science and International Studies with a certificate in Gender and Women's Studies. At UW-Madison, Sofia interned at PIRG Campus Action and the DKI Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, a U.S. Department of Defense Institute.
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Erin Schuler, Finance Associate and Intern Coordinator, recently moved to Lakeview after graduating from Marquette University in 2022 with a BA in Political Science and Economics. Prior to joining NCC, Erin worked on Mandela Barnes’ campaign for US Senate, interned on Capitol Hill in 2021, and organized in Wisconsin with Progressive Turnout Project in 2020. She is originally from St. Louis.
Morgan Tadish, Research Associate, graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2022 with a B.A. in Political Science. Prior to joining NCC, she worked on the Bill Foster for Congress campaign as a Digital Coordinator and at the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office as a legal intern. Starting in Fall 2023, she will be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sustainability Management at the University of Denver.
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Stefani (Xiaoqing) Yan, Finance Associate, recently relocated to Chicago following her graduation from Vanderbilt University in 2023 with a BA in Political Science and Economics, alongside minors in Sociology and Business. Before joining NCC, Stefani was involved in various advocacy organizations, focusing on criminal justice reform and LGBTQ rights. She's originally from Shanghai, China.