Ken Jones

President and CEO

Ken Jones is currently serving as the president and chief executive officer of the Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention. He also is executive vice president and general counsel of Communications Equity Associates (CEA), a global private equity and merchant banking firm based in Tampa, Florida. He is responsible for the organization and day-to-day executive management of the host committee in connection with the 2012 Republican National Convention. The host committee has multiple functions including raising private dollars to pay for the hosting of the convention as well as the coordination of logistics, security, venue leasing, hiring staff, and numerous other functions.

Ken has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1976 and also lived in Washington, DC for eight years before moving back home to Tampa in 2006. Before joining CEA, Ken worked in Washington, DC in various capacities in the U.S. Senate as well as counsel to a national political committee and the campaign of former President George W. Bush. He has also served in senior capacities in connection with the last three Republican National Conventions and two presidential inaugurations.

Matt Becker

Chief Operating Officer

Matt Becker is currently serving as the chief operating officer of the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention. He is responsible for overseeing the overall day-to-day operations of the Host Committee, including community outreach to organizations and businesses in the Tampa Bay region.

Prior to joining the Host Committee, Matt served as a private banker in the financial services industry in the St. Petersburg, Fla. market. He has also worked as the deputy chief of staff and White House liaison for the U.S. Small Business Administration during the George W. Bush Administration.

A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in political theory and constitutional democracy from Michigan State University. Highly active in the community, he has been involved in Leadership St. Petersburg and the Suncoasters of St. Petersburg. He resides in Northern Pinellas County with his wife and two children.

Paul Watson

Chief Financial Officer

Paul Watson is currently serving as the chief financial officer of the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention.  He is responsible for overseeing the finances of the Host Committee, including budgeting, cash flow management and financial reporting for the organization.

Previously, Paul served as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the Free Enterprise Nation Inc., a non-partisan educational and advocacy organization. From 1996-2008, he served as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer and senior financial analyst (1997-1999) of Clearwater Funds, Inc., a group of private hedge funds.  Paul started his career with Arthur Andersen LLP in the New York City Financial Services Division.

Paul attended St. John’s University, NY on a golf scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 1992 with a BSc degree in accounting. He was born and raised in Belfast, N. Ireland and immigrated to the United States in 1988. Paul resides in Tampa, Fla. with his wife and their two children.

Sarah Collins

Florida Finance Director & Director of Donor Programs

Sarah Collins is currently serving as the Florida finance director and director of donor programs of the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention. She is responsible for the Host Committee’s overall fundraising efforts, including developing and maintaining donor relations at both a statewide and national level.

Prior to joining the Host Committee, Sarah served as the director of development for American Solutions. She has also worked as the regional finance director for  the 2008 McCain-Palin campaign, overseeing several Southern states, including Florida, Georgia and Texas and as the finance director for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee in Georgia.

A native of Madison, Ga., Sarah earned a bachelor’s degree in consumer sciences from the University of Mississippi. She divides her time between Tampa, Fla., and Atlanta, Ga.

Arlene Dibenigno

Director of Economic Development

Arlene DiBenigno is the director of development for the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee. She is responsible for fostering the Host Committee’s relationships within the community in order to bolster the economic impact of the Republican National Convention on Tampa Bay. She is also in charge of organizing Florida Governor Rick Scott’s economic event, which will highlight the business community at a state and local level.

She is currently the president and CEO of Unico Strategies, which is based in Tampa, Fla. Prior to joining the Host Committee, Arlene was the director of minority communications and outreach for the Office of Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos. She has also worked as the director of legislative affairs, special projects for the 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee and as the executive assistant to the president at Figg Engineering.

A native of Miami, Fla., Arlene earned an associate’s degree in education from Miami Dade Community College. A recent transplant from Tallahassee, Fla., she now resides in Tampa.

Aileen Rodriguez

Director of Communications

Aileen Rodriguez is currently serving as the director of communications of the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of communications and marketing for the Host Committee, including handling press inquiries and serving as press secretary for the organization.

She is currently the president of the public relations firm AR Public Affairs & Strategic Communications, which is based in Tampa, Fla. Prior to joining the Host Committee, Aileen served as the Gulf Coast regional director for the Office of U.S. Senator Mel Martinez. She has also worked as the community liaison for Moffitt Cancer Center.

Aileen earned a bachelor’s degree in organization and interpersonal communication from the University of South Florida. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, she is fluent in Spanish. Aileen resides in Tampa with her husband and two children.

Amanda Whitelaw

Director of Events and Volunteers

Amanda Whitelaw is currently serving as the director of events and volunteers for the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee. She is responsible for the planning and execution of all Host Committee events leading up to the Republican National Convention. She is also in charge of the recruitment, training and management of approximately 7,500 volunteers leading up to and during the week of the Convention.

Prior to joining the Host Committee, Amanda served as the director of volunteer services for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee in Dallas, Texas. She has also worked for The Tampa Bay Super Bowl XLIII Host Committee and the Tampa Sports Authority at Raymond James Stadium.

A native of Lecanto, Fla., Amanda earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and human resources (with a certification in special events) from Florida State University. She resides in Tampa.

Jessica R. Aspiras

Deputy Director of Communications

Jessica R. Aspiras is currently serving as the deputy director of communications of the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention. A former television reporter, she is responsible for the Host Committee’s social media marketing efforts as well as overseeing the development of the organization’s mobile application. She is also in charge of communicating the Host Committee’s message as lead writer of press releases, newsletter stories and website content.

Prior to joining the Host Committee, Jessica served as the communications and marketing specialist for the University of South Florida College of Business. She has also worked at the public affairs firm The John Truscott Group, the Michigan Republican Party and WILX-TV, all located in Lansing, Mich.

A native of Pensacola, Fla., Jessica earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in mass media studies from Florida State University. She is a member of Emerge Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. She resides in Brandon, Fla.

Rita Wesley

Deputy Director of Events and Volunteers

Rita Wesley is currently serving as the deputy director of events and volunteers of the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention. She is responsible for recruiting and training thousands of volunteers in preparation for the Republican National Convention. She is also in charge of the Host Committee’s community outreach program.

She is currently an adjunct professor at St. Petersburg College, where she teaches The College Experience. Prior to joining the Host Committee, Rita served as the administrative coordinator, in addition to the special assistant to the president and CEO, of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. She has also worked as the special assistant to the first two strong mayors for the City of St. Petersburg.

A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., Rita earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Florida and a bachelor’s degree in English from Florida State University. She is a member of the Junior League of St. Petersburg where she has served in several capacities. She also serves on the advisory council for Clothes to Kids and the Social Action Funding Committee for the City of St. Petersburg. She resides in St. Petersburg.