I'm Obama for America's new Illinois State Director. I'm thrilled to be here, joining this team of supporters. I spent 2008 organizing for then-Senator Obama across the Midwest, and I am fired up for 2012.

We've got less than six months to go before November 6th. That means we've got to do everything we can to deliver a win for President Obama here at home, and pitch in to help our friends in neighboring states like Iowa and Wisconsin. They've been doing some great organizing, and we can support that work.

To help map out our efforts for the next six months, please join me and other supporters for a State of the State conference call at 7:00 p.m on Wednesday, May 16th.

On the call, we'll get an update about the organizing we've done so far, including recaps of last Saturday's day of action in Iowa and Wisconsin. In case you missed it, volunteer teams from Illinois traveled to our neighbor states to help register voters and talk with people about the President's accomplishments. It was a great weekend, and we're looking forward to many more like it!

We'll also talk about our broader national strategy, and how Illinois will help President Obama get the 270 electoral votes needed in November. There are new opportunities to get involved all the time, and we'll cover some of the most important ways you can help the campaign.

Sign up here to RSVP for Wednesday's call:

http://il.barackobama.com/Illinois-State-Director-Call

I'm looking forwarding to meeting you on the call this Wednesday, and working with you for the next six months as we organize to re-elect President Obama.

Talk to you soon,

At the end of the fall Obama Organizing Fellowship program, Anne H. was asked to join Organizing for America - Pennsylvania as a Field Organizer. She took time out of her busy day to share her story:

I applied to become a fall fellow because our country is at a crucial turning point. I wanted to play a personal role in making sure we head in the right direction by re-electing Barack Obama.

The teams I have met and helped develop remind me why I organize. Their determination, adaptability, and generosity inspire me. It’s meaningful to build relationships within our teams and with other organizers across a fellowship cohort.

Grassroots organizing builds mutual trust and shared ownership of our communities.

Phone banks are crucial to building that ownership. Our phone banks are personal. It’s emotionally uplifting to gather to call neighbors a few blocks away. The phone calls are only the start of a conversation that we hope continues in person.

Organizing is about that moment when someone goes from being a name on a list to a face we recognize. It’s rewarding when event attendees we recruit learn to coordinate their own events. The people I met taught me so much more about a neighborhood I've lived in for 16 years. These exchanges led me to coffee shops and community centers I didn't know about, that shared space to support our common goal of re-electing President Obama. Deepening our knowledge of neighborhoods, street by street, allows us to live in our communities more fully.

My best advice for the summer organizing fellows is to push yourselves to take initiative and lead by example. No responsibility is too small. It is an amazing thing when others give of their time, so value their contributions.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to develop new skills, meet amazing people, and move the country forward, apply for the summer Obama Organizing Fellowship.