Kemp's Staff Hired 1st

Although Jack Kemp will be able to hire several aides for his vice presidential campaign, principal members of his staff were in place before he was named.

One of them is campaign director Wayne L. Berman, a top Commerce Department official in the Bush Administration, who heads a Washington-based consulting and lobbying firm. He's serving as a volunteer, Berman said in an interview yesterday.

So is the deputy campaign manager, Fred Maas, a former general counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who's taking a leave as a partner in a Washington-based company that builds golf courses for the Professional Golfers Association. Charles S. Black, who ran Kemp's unsuccessful 1988 presidential bid and this year's unsuccessful campaign by Sen. Phil Gramm, R- Texas, is also serving as an unpaid adviser to Kemp, Berman said. Black has occasionally helped the Dole campaign since Gramm ended his candidacy.

Other staff members are already on board to help Kemp in his two-day-old vice presidential campaign, including:

• David Carney, who's serving as the deputy political director for vice presidential operations, reporting to Dole campaign manager Scott Reed. Carney, a veteran of the Bush White House, has worked for Dole's presidential campaign ``since the beginning,'' Berman said.
• Dan Leonard, the communications director. He held a similar job at the National Republican Congressional Committee and has worked for Republican Members of Congress, including Rep. Susan Molinari of New York, who'll deliver tonight's keynote address. Leonard will report to Dole communications director John Buckley.
• Steve Ross, the head of the press advance office.
• Rick Ahearn, a longtime friend and adviser to Kemp, who was chosen as the director of operations--in charge of scheduling and advance--even before Kemp was named as Dole's running mate.

Others who will serve on Kemp's staff, according to Berman, are Tim Unes as tour director, Sharon Zaleska as the chief administrator in Kemp's Washington office and Scott McCoy as administrative assistant to Berman and Maas. McCoy has worked for John Boehner of Ohio, the chairman of the House Republican Conference.

Longtime Dole speechwriter Kerry Pymchuk and Christian Pinkson, a veteran Dole aide, will help draft speeches for Kemp. Susan Eckelkamp and Phoebe Woll will work for Mrs. Kemp.

``All these people were chosen before Kemp was chosen,'' Berman said. ``Our whole staff is part of the Dole staff and will report to them.'' But, Berman added, ``there are several slots that Jack will fill with his own people'' as the campaign gears up.