Expert Biographies

John Frank is currently an instructor at the Chippewa Valley Technical College where he teaches courses in political science, economics, and law as well as having served as Department Chair for the CVTC Center for Behavioral Science and Civic Effectiveness and Director of the CVTC Paralegal Program. John received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1974 and his doctorate degree in Law cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977. John spent 13 years working for the United States Congress first serving as Chief-of-Staff and Counsel to former Wisconsin Congressman Steve Gunderson and later serving as Deputy Chief Counsel for the House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture.  Since returning to Wisconsin to teach, John has been a frequent guest speaker to organizations and associations on Federal legislative process, grassroots lobbying, campaigns, and elections.  John received the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Distinguished Achievement Award for outstanding service to the community, state, and nation in December 2001 and was named Career and Technical Teacher of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Career and Technical Education in 2006.

Rodd Freitag is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, where he has been teaching for the past twelve years.  He teaches a variety of courses on American government and politics, including State and Local Politics, Legislative Politics, and Group and Minority Politics.  His primary research interest is state politics and policy and he has published the “Budget and Finance” and “Minority Politics in Wisconsin” (with his colleague Geoff Peterson) chapters in various editions of the Wisconsin Government and Politics (McGraw-Hill) text.  Freitag has been chair of his department for the past seven years and has served as the department’s internship coordinator for the past ten years, during which time he has supervised numerous campaign internships.  Freitag also taught for five years at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford before joining the faculty at UW—Eau Claire.  His PhD is from the Government Department at the University of Texas at Austin and his dissertation was "The Scope of Conflict, Political Culture, and Public Welfare Policy in the States."  Freitag holds a BA from Minnesota State University, Mankato, in history and political science. 

Kathy Daggs is a 2006 graduate of UW-Eau Claire with a degree in political science and political management. Getting her start in politics in high school as an intern for Senator Herb Kohl, she started in “professional politics” in 2002 working as an Eau Claire area volunteer coordinator then Attorney General Doyle and other local Democrats.  In 2004 she worked for the Wisconsin Assembly Coordinated Committee serving as the campaign director for the 68^th Assembly district (north side of Eau Claire).  In 2006 she joined the State Senate Democrats Committee working as the campaign manager for now Senator Pat Kreitlow—helping to defeat an 18-year incumbent in a 50/50 district.  Following the 2006 races, she went on to work for Senator Kreitlow in the Wisconsin State Senate serving as his Chief of Staff for the past three years.  This past fall she took a leave from the State Senate to serve at the Deputy General Election Director for Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change in Wisconsin.