Below A Press Release issuedto the Point yesterday, stated that U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidate’s campaign strategist is expected to visit The Gambia from 13th– 16thof October 2008.Full text of the Press Release.

The U.S. Embassy is proud to announce the Official Visit of Sky Gallegos, Deputy CEO for Intergovernmental Affairs for the Democratic National Convention who is a member of the US Department of State Speakers Program. With the upcoming historic elections set for November 4, 2008, the U.S. Embassy is highlighting the democratic process of elections in the U.S. by inviting this speaker to The Gambia. Ms Gallegos will be speaking at the Kairaba Hotel on October 14thfrom 10 – 12pm and 2-4pm.

Sky Gallegos most recently served as the Deputy CEO for Intergovernmental Affairs for the Democratic National Convention in Denver. She worked directly for the Democratic National Convention Committee, which is the committee charged with the planning and production of the National Convention in Denver. She is the liaison to all of the elected officials, party officers and distinguished members of the Democratic family that will attend the Convention this August.

Sky’s work with state and local elected official’s spans the last 15 years and includes senior positions in government, corporate, non-profit and campaign arenas. During the Clinton Administration, Sky worked directly with the nation’s state and local elected officials while she served in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House, the U.S. Justice Department and the Democratic National Committee. Most recently, Sky was a partner with Hilltop Public Solutions, a public affairs, strategic communications and campaign consulting firm based in WashingtonDC.

An experienced campaign veteran, Sky worked in the last three presidential campaign cycles in off year and mid-term elections in targeted states for the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In 2003 Sky was the National Political Director for the awards for President Campaign. In the general election Sky was the California State Director for Kerry/Edwards ’04 where she garnered an 11 point victory.

In the 2000 Presidential election, Sky directed the western regional political effort for Vice President A1 Gore for three years.As Western Political Director, she developed and implemented the political strategy for 12 western states including the successful campaigns in California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and Hawaii. Prior to the campaign, Sky was the Western Political Director for Vice President Gore’s political action committee, Leadership ’98 and in 1996, Sky was the Deputy Political Director for the California Clinton/Gore Campaign.

Sky also has experience building and managing coalitions between the public and private sectors to effect legislation. Sky helped start and then managed EdVoice, a political advocacy organization for public school reform in California. As Chief Operating Officer and Political Director, Sky worked with the CEO to build a Board of Directors and Advisory Board which business, education, political and community leaders from across the state. Sky also developed a program to build a grassroots membership; worked with an internet design team to create an interactive Webster; built and managed a political action committee; and retained and managed a public relations team to produce an earned media and outreach program. In its first two years, EdVoice had a 99% success rate with the Legislation it introduced.

Sky received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from StanfordUniversity. She is a native of and resides in Denver, Colorado.