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The Conference

What We Do

Strategic Consulting

 

Founded in 2000 by Todd Henderson, Henderson & Associates expanded to become Power Play Partners LLC in 2017 to greater meet the needs of our clients.  With over 150 years of experience in politics, government affairs and issue advocacy, our team can give you the advantage you need. We are a professional public policy, government and media relations firm providing full-service advocacy consisting of general consulting, management, communications & messaging, polling, coalition building, data modelling and advertisement design for pro-business candidates seeking local, state and federal office in all 50 states.

What separates Power Play Partners from others is our winning record and experience in all facets of advocacy for our clients.  Whether it is a ballot referendum, federal legislation, independent expenditure efforts or success on Election Day, our clients can rely on experience with proven results.

Campaign Management

 

In 2014, outside special interests opposed to ballot security and voter ID laws were pouring millions of dollars into Iowa in support of President Barack Obama's Iowa campaign manager who was seeking the office of Iowa Secretary of State.  Despite being outspent 10-1 for much of the campaign, Power Play Partners' Henderson successfully guided the Republican candidate, Cedar Rapids Mayor Paul Pate to victory on Election Day.  

And in 2018, pro-business conservative State Representative Jeanne Ives retained Power Play Partners in her challenge to the liberal incumbent Governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner in the Republican primary.   Ives came within just two points on Primary Day after being outspent by more than 4-1.  

Power Play Partners' expertise, experience and management team will make your race competitive regardless of your opponent's campaign cash.

Crisis Response

 

In 2013, an Eastern Iowa community group of investors were pushing to expand gambling by adding a downtown casino which had previously been rejected by the voters on multiple occasions.  This time with a multimillion dollar public relations campaign, the investors were going to win a ballot referendum to allow the casino to be built. 

 

With just four weeks till the inevitable passage of the referendum, Power Play Partners' Todd Henderson was retained to take over the spokesperson duties for the JUST SAY NO CASINO campaign.  Despite the likely passage of support in favor of the casino, Henderson's strategy was to switch gears and campaign directly to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission and their previously stated concerns regarding gaming expansion.  While the referendum passed, the IRGC voted 4-1 against the casino plan and in favor of protecting local businesses.

When the train has left the station and it seems all hope is lost, Power Play Partners can help you change how the story ends.

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GassrootsTraining

Grassroots Training

 

Power Play Partners have been training grassroots staff and activists for decades.  Some of the leading pro-business grassroots advocacy organizations like Citizens For A Sound Economny, Freedom Works, Americans For Prosperity and others have untilized our expertise in identifying, educating and mobilizing hundreds of staff and thousands of activists.  Additionally, our training is bilingual which has expanded our clients' reach to a rapidly growing Hispanic populace.

For many, "grassroots" is just a word and to others it is a path to have their voices heard and make real changes in thier communities.  Grassroots is real and none more so than the 2022 County Commision race in South Florida where a conservtive challenger defeated a well-financed liberal incumbent by 3,400 votes out of 95,000 cast.  The challenger knew the battle ahead and retained Power Play Partners to incoporate and execute bilingual fundamental grassroots tactics to recruits volunteers, canvass neighborhoods, phone bank, turnout for events and most importantly listening to the voters. 

Cyber Policy & Cybersecurity Assistance

 

Power Play Partners is well positioned to be your first call when you need assistance developing cyber policy or dealing with a cybersecurity issue. 

 

Ours is a multidisciplinary team of professionals working at the confluence of cybersecurity, intelligence, advanced social media analytics, data management, and public policy, to deliver tailored cyber strategies, services, and policies, including:

 

  • State and agency cyber policy

  • Corporate cyber policy

  • Digital risk, threat hunting, and operational cybersecurity

  • Digital investigations and forensic analysis

  • Incident response

  • Data management and analysis

  • Penetration testing (including Red/Blue teaming)

  • Social media monitoring; user/branding profiling; and threat detection

  • Training (Internet intelligence; traveler’s training and countermeasures; and dark web training for state fusion center and law enforcement intelligence analysts)

  • Tailored and special research projects

 

Why Us?

 

The answer is simple: We understand the challenges that policymakers have in crafting effective cyber policy, and we bring a value-added dimension to integrate with your state’s existing efforts.  We not only possess a deep understanding of the cutting-edge technical aspects of cyber: threat hunting, data management, data mining, targeting, security; we couple that with extensive political and policy experience: on campaigns, in the statehouse, in the halls of Congress, in the Executive Branch, and in the public policy sphere. 

 

Our Experience

 

We draw on more than a century of political and policy expertise, coupled with more than four decades of experience in the homeland, national and cyber security arenas, and our approach reflects the focused seriousness and operational security you would expect from seasoned professionals.  We have successfully worked through an evolving policy and threat landscape in multiple domains for Fortune 100 companies; federal, state, and local governments; the military and intelligence communities; international organizations; the gaming industry; and small businesses.  We approach our work with a security-first mindset.  We are data-driven, nimble, collaborative, and discrete.  We offer strict privacy – we will never divulge our cybersecurity clients and the services we provide them unless compelled by law.  Our networks and facilities are secure, and many of our cyber personnel either hold or have held government security clearances. 

The Power Play Team

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Experience.  Proven Results.

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Founder & Managing Partner

Todd Henderson

Todd Henderson is the Founder and Managing Partner of Power Play Partners LLC, a professional public policy, government and media relations firm for clients that range from telecommunications, health care, public safety, cable utilities and tort reform to nuclear energy, gaming and numerous others.

 

For nearly 30 years, Henderson has delivered the winningest record in Iowa political campaigns having managed or served as general consultant to candidates for local, state and federal office.  Additionally, Henderson has a proven record of success in writing, producing and placing direct mail, radio/television and digital media for Power Play Partners’ political clients and independent expenditures for Super PACs. 

 

A seasoned veteran of issue advocacy efforts, Henderson has directed numerous issue advocacy campaigns during the first in the nation Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary for groups like Citizens For Long Term Care, Citizens For Better Medicare and the Iraq-America Freedom Alliance.

 

Henderson previously served as Chief Operations Officer and Director of the Business Services Division for the Iowa Secretary of State office and Media Spokesman for Alliant Energy.

 

A graduate of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and his Certificate of Public Management from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Henderson resides in Urbandale with his wife and two children where he's served as Head Coach for the Waukee Warriors, Des Moines Pirates and Drake University Bulldogs Hockey Clubs.

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Partner

Michael Krull

Michael Krull operates at the confluence of homeland and national security, cyber, and public policy.  He brings more than two decades of senior executive management experience in the private, public (congressional, executive, and political campaigns), and the association/non-profit/university sectors with considerable expertise in the areas of project development and management, strategic planning and risk mitigation, and advocacy/public affairs.  Mr. Krull has led domestic, international, and inter-agency projects and research teams on a wide variety of assignments in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.  In addition, he was an adjunct professor of politics and public policy at Georgetown University and a member of the Fulbright Scholar Review Panel, a current lecturer at the Georgetown Global Education Institute and affiliated with the academic research alliance at the National Defense University. 

 

Prior to his current roles, Mr. Krull was the national campaign manager for the Newt 2012 presidential campaign, and earlier served as National Director and Senior Advisor to former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, at the think tank American Solutions.  At the national and international level, he has worked as a contractor to the U.S. government (Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Postal Service, and the White House).  Mr. Krull has performed advocacy and government affairs work for companies such as M&M Mars, Intel, Resolution Copper Company (a joint venture of Rio Tinto and BHP), and Pink Jeep Tours. 

 

In the public sphere, Mr. Krull served as a staff member to Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), and as a political appointee of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.  He has worked on numerous political campaigns in Iowa and Virginia.  He has volunteered at the White House Advance Office and completed domestic and foreign trips for Presidents Reagan, Bush, Bush, and Trump, Vice President Cheney, and First Lady Laura Bush. 

 

Mr. Krull serves on the board of directors/advisors of the Gingrich Foundation, the Cyber Research and Analytics Foundation, and American Military News, for which he occasionally writes opinion pieces.  He holds a BA in politics and philosophy from Luther College and an MA in political science from Iowa State University, where he was presented with the Alumni Achievement Award from the College in Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2019. 

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Partner

Scott McPherson

A senior strategist and thought leader with a proven track record of excellence, Scott McPherson has four decades of public affairs, government relations, strategic communications, issue management and media relations experience. He founded Wisconsin-based McPherson Public Affairs Group in 2010 after serving for 21 years as President of Midwest Public Affairs Group, a firm he co-founded in Chicago in 1991. McPherson currently serves as a Senior Regional Manager for  Associated Equipment Distributors, where he manages member relations across 13 states in the Great Lakes, Midwest, Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. He is also a founding Partner of Macallan Communications, a leading digital publications firm.

McPherson most recently spent two years as Part-time Executive Director of the Presque Isle, Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, McPherson managed multi-state grass tops legislative outreach for The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, and The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. Prior to that he was regional field team director covering 26 states for Altria Corporate Services, and directed public affairs and media relations in the Midwest Region for Coca-Cola.

During his career McPherson has provided strategic counsel and managed multi-state grass tops communications efforts for a variety of corporations and trade associations including McDonnell-Douglas, BP Amoco, U.S. Steel, United Airlines, Illinois Tool Works, Navistar, The Nuclear Energy Institute, and The American Trucking Association.

A skilled media spokesperson trained in crisis communications, McPherson formerly served as Acting Communications Director for the Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois, the nation’s 2nd largest transit system.

Prior to his transition to corporate and association public affairs, McPherson was a senior level political consultant who managed several campaigns and served as Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee supervising political activity in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Prior to that he served as Executive Director of Bush for President ‘88 in Minnesota, and as a Field Operative for Bush/Quayle in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Before being recruited to join Bush/Quayle, McPherson was a Field Director for the Minnesota Republican Party from 1985 to 1987 and a Legislative Assistant to Minnesota Congressman Arlan Stangeland from 1983 to 1985.  A Chicago native, McPherson is a graduate of St. Cloud State University and holds a Master's Degree in communications from Northwestern University. 

McPherson resides in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin.

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Partner

Bob Ellsworth

Bob has been involved with the intersection of technology, data and innovation in the advertising, marketing, political, and non-profit world for over 35 years. He is the founder and managing director of Hive Revolution Media, an innovative technology and marketing agency focused on nudge advocacy which uses targeted media advertising, non-confrontational persuasive content and contextual relevance to help companies and campaigns meet advocacy and acquisition goals.

 

Hive’s clients include consumer-focused companies, manufacturers, music artists, health care technology companies, domestic and international political campaigns (including 5 US Presidential campaigns and 4 international Presidential campaigns), governments and non-profits. He sold an advertising company to WPP and was a group CTO working with top tier clients such as Ford, Pepsi, Taco Bell and FedEx, BIPAC and the George W. Bush Presidential Library on using emotional and behavioral data to optimize advocacy, issue awareness and customer acquisition.

 

Bob was the head of technology for the Republican National Committee (RNC), leading the displacement of the old-line data and technology vendors with modern marketing technologies from 2009-2011.  His group used data analytics and advertising analysis to create the phrase “Fire Pelosi” in response to the passage of the ACA.  CNN and other media pundits rated this campaign as one of the most effective political slogans in the past 50 years, providing the rallying cry to Republicans winning over 50 House Seats in 2010.

 

He was the first hire for Network for Good, becoming the COO/CTO for the largest online portal for charitable contributions, surpassing over $1B in online donations during his tenure.  In 1998, Bob founded one of the first online digital political marketing and fundraising companies with clients ranging from the George W. Bush’s 2000 Presidential campaign, the Republican National Committee (RNC), Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Senator Ted Kennedy and the Democratic Congressional Committee.

 

Bob Ellsworth lives in Leesburg, Virginia with his family and a very entitled  Covid dog.

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Partner

Carlos Muhletaler

Carlos Muhletaler has been involved in the advocacy for economic freedom and grassroots organizing for more than 27 years where he worked for advocacy organizations such as Americans for Prosperity, The Grassroots Leadership Academy, Citizens for a Sound Economy and Florida Stop Lawsuit Abuse. He has also worked for numerous campaigns on a local and national level. Carlos believes in empowering citizens with the tools needed to break down barriers and making their American Dream possible.

 

Carlos holds a B.A. in Political Science from Regis University and an M.A. in Latin American and Iberian Studies from Vanderbilt University.  He currently resides in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife and daughter.

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Partner

Dave Ladd

Dave Ladd formed RDL & Associates to assist clients seeking solutions to public policy issues, strategic communications, coalition development, and grassroots engagement by working with a broad range of contacts at the federal, regional and state levels.  Dave has developed relationships with key leaders in production agriculture, the renewable energy sector, agribusiness, financial institutions, state and federal government and Capitol Hill.  In addition, he is often looked to for his expertise regarding the current policy and political environments and has served as a consultant to numerous state and federal candidates.

 

Prior to forming RDL & Associates Dave served as Manager of Government Affairs for AgriBank, FCB where he was responsible for representing the interests of the bank and the AgriBank District Farm Credit Council before members of Congress and various Federal agencies. As AgriBank’s Chief Legislative Officer, Dave was tasked with monitoring Federal legislation that had a direct impact on the fifteen states that comprise the district - as well as working with Farm Credit associations and agricultural stakeholders.

 

Dave has extensive experience in the political process and the development of public policy. From 1995 until 2000, he served as a Minnesota based Policy Advisor in the United States Senate. In this capacity, he was responsible for policy evaluation and development, outreach coordination, and the building of cross-sector coalitions.

 

Dave is frequent guest commentator on the Linder Farm Network and AM960 KLTF.  He is a co-author of the book, LIKE: Seven Rules and 10 Simple Steps for Social Media in Your Campaign.

Dave received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and History from Minnesota State University Moorhead in Moorhead, Minnesota and his Master’s in Public Administration from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Partner

Patrick Davis

Patrick Davis is a nationally recognized communication and political consultant and strategist.  Since 1992 Patrick has been working for and advising candidates for President, Governor, U.S. Senate, Congress, State Legislature, county commission, board of regents, Mayor, and city council.  Patrick is an organizational, strategic and communications consultant to governments, corporations, issue committees and non-profit corporations. 

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