Newt re-adds two Iowa staffers

(Update: Schoenfeld will now be the senior adviser and Koberg his deputy.

"More paid staff announcements are pending as well as the opening of seven campaign offices statewide," writes NBC.)

Newt re-added two Iowa staffers today: Craig Schoenfeld, who had served as executive director of the Iowa team, and Katie Koberg, who was deputy director.

TheIowaRepublican.com had this to say about Koberg back in May:

Koberg is an exceptional hire for Gingrich. With so many of Iowa’s political operatives now working in state government since the state has a Republican governor for the first time in over a decade, there are not that many operatives with a resume like Koberg’s out there for presidential candidates to choose from.

Over a span of almost six years, Koberg has developed contacts and relationships with legislative candidates across the state through here work at Iowans for Tax Relief. Those relationships, and her knowledge of the political landscape across the state, will be an asset for the Gingrich campaign.

The same writer, Craig Robinson, said this of Schoenfeld:

Schoenfeld is a long-time veteran of local and statewide Iowa political campaigns. In 2004, he ran the Iowa Victory effort for President Bush, in addition to working on President Bush’s successful caucus effort in 2000.

...

Schoenfeld provides Gingrich with an understanding of how Iowa caucus campaigns operate.

A couple of quotes from Katie Koberg of Newt's campaign

From Daily Times Herald:

"I had the opportunity to meet [Newt] earlier this year at the office in Muscatine," said Koberg, who worked for Iowans for Tax Relief in that southeastern Iowa city. “Upon leaving that meeting I knew at that point in time that was the guy I was going to support."

Koberg said she believes Gingrich has a strong chance in Iowa.

"We've been doubling crowd sizes," Koberg said. "We've had to expand rooms quickly. The people are active, interested and they want to listen and learn."

The Iowa Republican touts Newt's latest hires: "exceptional" and "impressive"

Earlier today, Newt rolled out his latest hires in the state that will hold the first nominating contest.

Of Katie Koberg, who was the Vice President of a Iowan fiscal conservative think tank until recently, Craig Robinson of The Iowa Republican said:

Koberg is an exceptional hire for Gingrich. With so many of Iowa’s political operatives now working in state government since the state has a Republican governor for the first time in over a decade, there are not that many operatives with a resume like Koberg’s out there for presidential candidates to choose from.

Over a span of almost six years, Koberg has developed contacts and relationships with legislative candidates across the state through here work at Iowans for Tax Relief. Those relationships, and her knowledge of the political landscape across the state, will be an asset for the Gingrich campaign.

Robinson had the following to say about Iowa House Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Kaufmann:

Gingrich also announced that Rep. Jeff Kaufmann will serve as his senior policy advisor on Iowa related issues such as rural economies, agriculture and energy. Kaufmann is another impressive addition to Gingrich’s Iowa team. Kaufmann has a large following in eastern Iowa and was a huge asset to the campaigns of Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Terry Branstad.

More about Newt's Iowa hires: Will Rogers and Craig Shoenfeld

(Update: Rogers has resigned from a paid position with the campaign but will, according to Craig Robinson, stay on in a volunteer role. Politico, writes: "Iowa sources tell me that when the campaign landed Katie Koberg, formerly of Iowans for Tax Relief before a big exodus from that group, Rogers was apparently layered over."

Here is my post about Koberg coming onto the campaign.)

Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines Register quotes Gingrich's spokesman, Rick Tyler, as saying of Shoenfeld: “He has a winning track record."

Of Linda Upmeyer, who will serve in the volunteer role of chairman of the Hawkeye state effort, Tyler says: “She’s a real leader and she’s been extraordinarily helpful to us over the years."

Jacobs tells a story of Rogers' past with Gingrich and Tyler:

Tyler recalled how a few years ago, Rogers offered to volunteer for the Republicans and was tasked to be Gingrich’s driver on a trip to the Iowa State Fair.

The gig stretched until very late at night.

“I was thanking Will for taking care of us all day long and through the conservation I learned he’d only been assigned to drive for the morning,” Tyler said. “He said, ‘no, no, that’s fine.’ He was there to serve.”

Tyler said they were impressed that Rogers knew Iowa so well.

“Going around the fair he knew everybody. And everybody knew Will. He’s like a one-man chamber of commerce and tourism division.”