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December 2014
Erin Veltman
Q & A:
- What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
The Zarb School is filled with incredible faculty members who are passionate and invested in students' experience – they're all my favorite! I have vivid memories of my legal research and writing course with Professor Vogel. His notorious red pen made me hyper-conscious of using proper grammar and never using the word "literally." He's a gem. - What advice would you give current Hofstra students?
Be proactive. I made the decision to go to Hofstra over other universities because of their emphasis on networking and developing meaningful relationships with the faculty. I will never forget freshman orientation when then-Dean Polimeni challenged all of the freshmen to end every semester having built a relationship with at least one professor that could write you a recommendation. "At the end of your four years at Hofstra," he said, "you will have secured eight recommendations for graduate school or jobs, and that will make you more competitive than half the job market." To me, this epitomizes the Hofstra edge – challenging students to be forward thinking and to invest their time in the best resources the university has available: its faculty. - In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
Brilliant. - What is a typical work day like for a political fundraiser?
The fantastic thing about my job is that there is no such thing as a "typical" day. It's challenging and totally unpredictable. As executive director of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC), I am primarily responsible for raising money to fund state legislative races nationwide. I manage relationships with legislative leaders in all 50 states and Fortune 500 executives in an effort to help grow the Republican Party from the ground up. I've had an opportunity to travel the country and meet incredible people who are changing the landscape of the United States through innovation and real leadership. It's the single most rewarding job I've ever held and one I would have never been prepared for without my four years in the Zarb School of Business. - What is the single most rewarding/exciting experience in your career thus far?
Last year we hosted our national meeting that featured 83 legislative leaders from all 50 states and the former governor of Puerto Rico. That was the largest gathering of Republican legislative leaders ever. It was an unforgettable experience and definitely a watermark moment for my career. - What was a major obstacle you were able to overcome to perform your job?
Being a fundraiser is all about exceeding expectations. Reaching a goal is never good enough –you always have to go a few steps further to be deemed "successful." I'd say that's the best and worst part of doing what I do. It keeps me on my toes! - What unique experience or qualifications separate you from other colleagues?
My ability to manage hundreds of relationships simultaneously that are always changing. Most people work with a confined group of individuals, many of whom have all been with an organization for a notable amount of time. Politics is a transitional business; people are always coming and going, and the personalities are wildly varied - Which colleague has influenced you the most during your career, thus far?
My mentor, Louisa Imperiale. Louisa was my first boss when I graduated from college; she was the finance director for a U.S. Senate campaign I worked on and has been my dear friend ever since. I remember the first time I met her at my interview … she was glamour personified and has a presence that is both enviable and infectious. Louisa gave me my start in this business, taught me everything I know about fundraising, and showed me what it means to be a professional woman in D.C. Going on six years later, I still call her regularly for advice. Most admirably, she is a living example that you can have it all – a successful career and a family. She just gave birth to her second child in March and launched a new business in April. Everyone check out GetPhotox.com! She's superwoman.
Erin Veltman has served as the Executive Director of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC) since January 2011. The RLCC is part of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down-ballot, state-level Republican officeholders
As Executive Director, Erin is responsible for raising funds to help elect Republicans to state legislative offices across the country. Erin manages all RLCC operations and reports directly to the RSLC’s President. She has built and maintains relationships with Republican legislative leaders in all 50 states and serves as the primary liaison between those leaders and the RLCC’s donors.
Erin recently led the RLCC to its most successful election year in 2014, raising an unprecedented amount of money to support legislative races in 45 states, resulting in the GOP gaining a supermajority of legislative majorities and achieving an all-time record in the number of legislative chambers and seats held by Republicans.
In 2013, Erin planned and executed the largest gathering of Republican legislative leaders in history, featuring 83 Legislative Leaders from all 50 states and the former Governor of Puerto Rico. In 2014, the RLCC set a new record for its National Meeting, hosting a total of 94 Legislative Leaders representing all 50 states and Puerto Rico for the second year in a row.
Prior to joining the RLCC, Erin served as Finance Director for two Congressional candidates in New York during the wave 2010 elections, one of whom was elected to the 112th Congress. She has also worked in various fundraising capacities for a U.S. Senate Re-Election campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) under Chairman Mike Duncan. Erin is a native New Yorker and earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Legal Studies in Business from Hofstra University. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.