Rachael Rice began her career in politics following her graduation from college in 1992.  She served as the legislative aide and campaign staffer to Maryland General Assembly Delegate Mary Louise Preis (D-Harford County) until 1996.  Rachael trained at the Democratic National Committee Tulley-Brown Campaign School, focusing on field and fundraising, before leaving Maryland to become the Berkshire County, Massachusetts Campaign Coordinator for Congressman John Olver (D-Mass), Senator John Kerry (D-Mass), and President Bill Clinton. After helping all three candidates successfully maintain their respective seats, Rachael returned to Annapolis to head the Maryland House of Delegates Democratic Research Group.  As the head of the group, she assisted members with message, incumbency protection, fundraising, and media outreach.

In 1997, Rachael served as a Policy Analyst to the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA), an association of eighteen independent colleges and universities that aims to collectively represent and coordinate independent higher education in Maryland. She left MICUA in 1998 to resume a career in politics, taking the helm of the Mary Louise Preis for Senate campaign, the most closely contested—and watched—race in Maryland. Immediately following the campaign, Rachael spent a year working for Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, raising over $450,000 for Marylanders for Miller. Rachael continued her work for President Miller at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Committee Miller chaired that promoted the mission of building and maintaining winning, state-of-the-art Democratic campaign committees in states through partnerships with legislative leaders, professional staff, and supporters. While at the DLCC, Rachael created and executed the first-ever caucus operation in Vermont during the turbulent 2000 election cycle.  This immediately followed the Legislature passing of the nation\'s first civil union legislation by Governor Howard Dean.  Serving as House and Senate Democratic Caucus Director, Rachael directed a $600,000 fundraising program and supervised all candidate campaign plans, message development, and direct mail programs, ultimately helping the Vermont Senate maintain a slim majority. Rachael also traveled to Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, California in July, 2000, to direct the DLCC’s fundraising efforts at the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

Rachael returned to the DLCC and Washington, D.C. in 2001 to manage key DLCC fundraising events and policy meetings, to assist with recruitment and placement of caucus directors in targeted state chambers and to review and upgrade all DLCC Training Materials and public documents. Rachael left the DLCC in 2001 to begin Rice Consulting, a Democratic Consulting Firm specializing in fundraising, compliance and incumbency protection for Congressional, statewide, countywide and state legislative democratic candidates and organizations.

Rachael is a graduate of the John Carroll School in Bel Air, Maryland and a magna cum laude graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, where she was the 1992 Doris T. Bell ’50 Award winner, a three-time Division III Academic All-American, recipient of English Departmental Honors, History Departmental Honors and Thesis Honors, and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society.

Rachael is married to David Carey, an attorney and Bel Air Town Commissioner. They live in the Town of Bel Air with their Labradors, Max Rice-Carey and Augie Rice-Carey. When not at Rice Consulting, Rachael enjoys spending time with Dave, Augie and Max, running, walking, hiking and biking, playing tennis, time with family and friends, college basketball season, traveling, trips to the Outer Banks, participating in Town of Bel Air activities, and listening to NPR.

Caroline Barkuloo - Account Manager

Caroline joined the Rice Consulting team in October 2007 as a Staff Assistant while in college. She now handles individual candidate and committee fundraising accounts, builds campaign databases, and executes fundraising events as an Account Manager.

A native of Harford County, Caroline graduated from Bel Air High School in 2005. She received her Associate of Science from Harford Community College in December 2007 and her Bachelor of Science from Towson University in Business Administration with a Track in Legal Studies in December 2009.

Caroline and her husband, Tom, live in Bel Air where she can enjoy her 3 mile commute to work. When not working, Caroline enjoys hanging out in her hometown and lounging around her condo. She is a huge fan of sushi, traveling, and spending time with her family on their yearly vacations to Disney World.

Ben McGann - Senior Account Manager

Ben McGann was welcomed back to Rice Consulting in May 2010 for his third “tour of duty” with the firm.  Ben first worked as a Staff Assistant at Rice Consulting in 2005 when he was a senior at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.  After graduating from WC with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, Ben returned to Rice Consulting as an Account Manager, and coordinated fundraising for Delegate Joanne Benson, Delegate Jon Cardin, and Chairman Dereck Davis, among others. 

After the 2007 Baltimore election cycle, Ben left Rice Consulting for the Southeast United States to help the Democrats and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He served as National Finance Assistant for U.S. Senator Kay Hagan's successful race to unseat Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina.   Immediately following the Hagan win, he served as Deputy Finance Director for Jim Martin’s run-off race for U.S. Senate in Georgia, and then Finance Director for Jon Bowerbank who ran for Lt. Governor in Virginia.  Most recently, Ben served as Deputy Finance Director for Congressman Artur Davis’ campaign for Governor in Alabama.  Ben looks forward to implementing national and state-wide finance strategies with Rice Consulting’s range of clients.

When he is not staffing call time, Ben can be found at Ravens and Orioles games or participating in various community or philanthropic events around the state. 

Kelly Bittner - Account Manager/Compliance Director

Kelly Bittner joined the Rice Consulting team in January, 2010 as Staff Assistant.  She has since been promoted to an Account Manager and directly handles committee and individual fundraising accounts.  Kelly researches and updates the databases of Rice Consulting clients and ensures the timeliness of mailings for important client events.

Kelly has lived in Harford County her entire life and graduated from Edgewood High School in 1989.  She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University) in 1993 and recently attended the College of Notre Dame where she received a certificate in teaching for elementary education. 

Prior to joining Rice Consulting, Kelly worked for T. Rowe Price Associates for eight years, managing representatives in the financial institutions trading division.  Kelly also worked for the State of Maryland to manage budgets for the Harford County Health Department and gained marketing experience while working for Lafarge, a construction materials company.

Kelly lives in Street with her husband, daughter, son, and recently rescued black lab, Cody.  She enjoys coaching her daughter in lacrosse and likes to cheer for her son during baseball season.  As a family, they enjoy bike riding, traveling and working in their vegetable garden.

Chris Filippou - Web Developer and Electronic Media Director

Chris Filippou joined the Rice Consulting team in March 2011. As Website Developer and Electronic Strategy Director, Chris works with clients who are social media veterans and those who are new to the world of electronic campaigning. Chris can build new, interactive websites for clients from the ground up, transition sites from campaign into political sites, and revive websites that have been dormant for stretches of time.

Chris was born and lived in Baltimore County for 24 years. He attended Perry Hall High School and worked at Desantis' Restaurant in Perry Hall through high school and college. He graduated from the University of Baltimore in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications.

After graduation, Chris began his professional career as a Graphic Designer for a small event planning company in Towson. He created web and print media including brochures, signs, advertisements, flash animations, and website graphics, and re-designed the company website and logo. Prior to joining Rice Consulting, Chris spent two years in the website department at the Maryland State Bar Association, aiding in the design and maintenance of their primary and supplementary websites.

Chris now resides in Baltimore City, right outside of Canton. When he is not working, he enjoys participating in sports, playing guitar, spending time with friends and family, and relaxing to Country music.

Jessica Schultz - Creative Director

Jessica Schultz joined the Rice Consulting Team in June 2011. As Creative Director, she designs and oversees the production of all client event invitations, publications and photographs. She also manages incumbency protections projects and assists with fundraising events.

Jessica was born and raised in Carney, Maryland where she attended Parkville High School and worked at Mars Supermarkets. She graduated from James Madison University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts & Design and a minor in Studio Art. She also spent a semester abroad in London where she studied Shakespeare, theatre, art history and British politics. During her senior year she volunteered for the Obama campaign in JMU's town of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

After graduation, Jessica fulfilled a life-long dream and spent a year traveling around South America. She worked in the cities of La Paz, Bolivia and Cusco, Peru and spent a great deal of time Couchsurfing with Brazilian locals and hiking in Patagonia. After returning home, she quickly jetted off to St. Gallen, Switzerland where she took a German class and explored the Appenzellerland area.

She currently resides in Baltimore where she enjoys hiking, biking, cows and listening to Bob Dylan.

Laurie Scannell - Controller/Office Manager 

Laurie Scannell, Rice Consulting’s first employee hired in 2001, rejoined the firm in October 2008 after taking several years off to raise her children. Laurie’s first “tour of duty” with Rice Consulting was as an account manager, handling individual client accounts and databases. Laurie now serves as Rice Consulting’s Controller, managing financial accounts, employee benefits and other fiscal matters.

Laurie is a 1988 graduate of the John Carroll School in Bel Air, Maryland and a 1992 graduate of Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and economics. In 1995, Laurie graduated from the Loyola College of Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business with a Master\'s in business administration.

From 1993 through 2001, Laurie worked for T. Rowe Price Associates, and was responsible for managing operations, auditing and quality control.

When not at Rice Consulting, Laurie enjoys being with her husband and two daughters. She spends as much time as possible at the beach and is a self-described "crazy Soccer Mom."

Max Rice-Carey 

Max Rice-Carey was born in December 2002 and joined the Rice Consulting team in October 2008. A native of Pylesville, Maryland, Max is a Yellow Labrador Retriever whose long, handsome nose, height, and athleticism suggest a touch of greyhound or Doberman (according to his veterinarian).

Max specializes in office morale, accompanying staff on errands, supervising meetings in the conference room, greeting the mail carrier and all delivery personnel, and trips to the bank. When he is not at Rice Consulting, Max is fanatical about chasing tennis balls and enjoys playing with his many dog friends at Rockfield Park, swimming in ponds and streams, trips to the Outer Banks, going on car rides, and visiting his grandparents' house.

 

 

 Augie Rice-Carey

Augie Clarence Rice-Carey was born on October 13, 2008 on Silver Road in Darlington, Maryland. He was one of eight puppies born to his chocolate Labrador mother, Swan Creek’s Tallahassee Lassie (“Sassie”) and his yellow Labrador father, Swan Creek’s Cotton Picker (“Ben”).

Augie joined the Rice Consulting team on December 14, 2008. At work Augie focuses on following his older brother Max, napping, and chewing on desk legs, papers and cardboard boxes.

When he is not at the office, Augie loves morning playtime at Rockfield Park with Max and their friends Choptank, Sophie, Hershey, and Jack, going for walks, chewing on bones, chasing geese and deer, and wrestling with his pal Raven when she comes to work.  Augie is a graduate of Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience at the Terrapin K-9 Academy.

 

 Raven

Raven Scannell was born in August of 2010 and joined the Rice Consulting team in October 2010. Raven was born in Abingdon, Maryland and she has 5 brothers. She is a Cockapoo.

At Rice Consulting Raven specializes in walks to the bank and assists with the stuffing of pitch packets. When in the office Raven loves to get attention from everyone. She enjoys stealing Max and Augie's toys and especially enjoys tormenting them while they are napping. Raven has also excelled at the position of lunch monitor as she knows exactly when someone is heating up lunch.

Raven is a proud graduate of the Pet Smart Puppy Kindergarten. When Raven is not in the office she spends her time taking walks, visiting with her neighbors, Roxy and Luke, and visiting her brother Cooper.