Campaigns with character: Leadership, strategy and the power of purpose

At the University of Richmond, political ambition meets strategic discipline in the Political Campaign Management (PCM) Professional Certificate, a program shaping leaders and bridging diverse experiences. The program became a catalyst for leadership, community building, and principled campaigning for two recent graduates, Andrè Villas-Boas and JoAnna Mendoza.

For Villas-Boas, who managed Premier League clubs Chelsea F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. before his run for FC Porto President, the course validated and refined his approach. Though “a bit of an outsider in the course” as someone running for a soccer club presidency, he found the principles universally applicable.

“Most of my colleagues had much more experience in internal American politics than myself,” he shared. “I was in the course to make sure that my specific campaign had all the details aligned in terms of preparation, marketing strategies, electoral program, and of course, getting the vote out techniques.”

Villas-Boas appreciated the philosophies that underscored the course’s teachings. One quote in particular, “It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear,” stayed with him as a guiding principle for crafting resonant messaging.

Mendoza, a Marine Corps veteran and congressional candidate in Arizona, emphasized the course’s focus on running a campaign that is “ethical, inclusive, and grounded in community.” She added, “It reinforced that data-driven strategies and authentic storytelling must go hand in hand.”

Though their campaign audiences were worlds apart — 150,000 FC Porto members for Villas-Boas and Arizona voters for Mendoza — both stressed the cultural foundations of their messaging.

Villas-Boas, who led FC Porto to an undefeated 2010–11 season and European title, connected deeply with the club’s identity and legacy. “The essence of any sporting institution is to win trophies… aligned with a representation of cultural values of the city and its people,” he noted.

Mendoza’s work at VetsForward also focused on local identity.

“I’ve applied campaign strategy tools such as community mapping and strategic engagement plans to more effectively mobilize rural veterans and military families around energy policy, environmental justice, and civic action,” she said. “These tools have helped us bring advocacy closer to the ground and meet people where they are.”

Both Mendoza and Villas-Boas are also using the skills they gained beyond the campaign trail.

Mendoza is building a political training pipeline for veterans and underrepresented communities.

“The course helped me connect tactical campaign planning with long-term community impact, and it reinforced my belief that we can build power from the ground up,” she said.

For Villas-Boas, the impact was swift and tangible.

“The FC Porto 2024 election was the biggest in its history,” he noted. “Those details, that connection with people, were all lessons that came strengthened [sic] from the PCM course.”

The Political Campaign Management program is deeply rooted in an ethical framework and bipartisan spirit, which was deeply satisfying for Mendoza.

“It was refreshing to be part of a program that embraced bipartisanship,” Mendoza said. “Seeing people from different political backgrounds come together with a shared commitment to service and good governance gave me a lot of hope.”

From a soccer club’s presidential race in Portugal to a congressional campaign in Arizona, UR’s Political Campaign Management Professional Certificate is proving its power: shaping leaders, strengthening democracy, and inspiring campaigns with character.