The Institute for International Studies would like to invite you to take part in the open lecture on The 2024 US Presidential Election - What to expect over the next 18 months, provided by Joshua Burgin and Chris Brennan.
Joshua M. Burgin serves as a Senior Program Officer for the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Warsaw. For nearly three decades, Burgin has balanced professional interests in domestic U.S. politics and international affairs, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe.
Burgin has managed numerous political campaigns in Florida and Massachusetts and has also run for office. He has held multiple state and local government positions and was a gubernatorial appointee. Additionally, Burgin serves as an advisor to the European Academy of Diplomacy and coordinates the New Security Leaders Program at the Warsaw Security Forum.
Mr. Burgin holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he received the Lucius Littauer Award for Academic Excellence and Community Impact.
Christopher Brennan has been a proven leader and problem solver, with experience ranging from advocacy, grassroots organizing, intergovernmental relations, communications strategy, volunteer training, and many other assorted tasks and duties, for nearly a quarter of a century. Chris has worked on political campaigns, in state and federal government, and in the private sector.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Brennan started his professional career as the deputy campaign manager for Congressman Michael Ferguson in New Jersey during the 1998 campaign cycle. After working as a field representative for the New Jersey Republican State Committee in 1999 where he helped maintain Republican control of the state assembly, Chris served as a field director for the Republican National Committee’s Victory 2000 program helping to elect the Republican ticket from federal to local races.
After obtaining his MA in American History from the Citadel and The College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, Brennan served as Southeast Pennsylvania/Lehigh Valley Political Director for President Bush's re-election campaign in 2004. In that capacity he oversaw ten of the most populous counties in Pennsylvania and helped to build an army of over 10,000 volunteers. Under Brennan's leadership this volunteer army made over two million-voter contacts on Election Day alone.
Following the election, Brennan served as Verizon’s Director of External Affairs for Central Pennsylvania. From serving as Verizon’s liaison to local and county government, to representing the Verizon Foundation in its charitable endeavors, Brennan served as the face of Verizon in the community.
From 2013-2015, Brennan joined the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett as the Central Pennsylvania Regional Director, and later became the Communications Director for Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley.
Recently Brennan was the Director of Special Projects for The Bravo Group, one of the largest public relations and advocacy firms in the United States. There he was client lead for many projects including a USAID funded democracy-building project in North Macedonia.
After serving as the Pennsylvania Political Director for Defending Democracy Together during the 2020 campaign cycle, Brennan accepted a position at The International Republican Institute as the Resident Program Director for North Macedonia. He currently resides in Skopje, North Macedonia with his wife and family.
The lecture is scheduled for May, 31st 2023 at 11.30-13.00 (Polish local time). It will be held online on ZOOM platform:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85637618907?pwd=VVQ5cGxLS2F3UnJ4RWMvUkxvVWdWZz09
Meeting ID: 856 3761 8907
Passcode: 267191
In case of any additional questions please, do not hesitate to contact the organiser: dr Marek Musioł: marek.musiol@uwr.edu.pl