H. BENSON DENDY III serves as President of The Vectre Corporation and a member of its Board of Directors. As a senior staff member for two Virginia Governors, he has held positions as diverse as Secretary of the Commonwealth, Secretary to the Governor's Cabinet, and Special Assistant to the Governor. He began his career in state government in 1978, as a legislative assistant to the Lieutenant Governor. Over the course of seven legislative sessions, he advocated for two Governors' agendas in the General Assembly. He served on transition committees for Virginia Governors Mark Warner and Terry McAuliffe.

In 2016, Dendy was appointed to the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University, where he currently serves as Vice Rector. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Containerization & Intermodal Institute. In 2002, he was appointed by Governor Mark Warner to the Council on the Southern Community of the Southern Growth Policies Board.

Dendy has been appointed and reappointed to the Board of Trustees of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a state agency, by six Virginia Governors of both parties. He served as Chairman for nine years and is currently Chairman Emeritus. In 2003, he was appointed by the United States Secretary of the Interior to the Federal Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission and served as the Federal Commission's Vice Chairman. From 2013 – 2020, Dendy served on the Executive Committee of the American Evolution 2019 Commemoration which highlighted the 400th anniversary of key historical events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence our world today. These events were the anniversary of the first representative assembly in the New World, the arrival of the first recorded African slaves to English North America, the arrival of the first English women in significant numbers and the first official English Thanksgiving.

He served on the Board of Trustees of the Valentine Richmond History Center for 14 years and is a former director of the Virginia YMCA and the Maymont Foundation. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, a core grantee of the United States Department of State that conducts international exchange programs for young governmental leaders. He is a member of the Honorary Council to the St. George's Foundation in Bermuda. Dendy also has extensive experience in helping international corporations develop business in this country.

Dendy graduated from the University of Richmond, magna cum laude, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. A member of Second Presbyterian Church, Dendy serves as an elder. He and his late wife, Stacey, had three children. The family enjoys skiing at Wintergreen and spending time in the summer at Virginia Beach.

He has served as Chairman of The Advocacy Group, the premier municipal, state, federal and international government and public affairs organization in the world and currently serves on its board of directors. Dendy was one of the first 24 government relations professionals nationwide to complete the State Government Affairs Council Professional Certification Program in 2012 and currently has completed the Council's silver level program for advanced certification.

15-20 years

Mark Gaines Named to Alabama Today's 32 Powerful and Influential Alabamians to Know

"Mark Gaines has been around for decades, bringing a wealth of knowledge, decades-long relationships, and a positive attitude to the political arena in Alabama."


Southern Political Report - The South's Top Government Affairs Firms

"The law firm of Adams and Reese placed #1 in the states of Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee and also ranked in the top five in Mississippi and South Carolina.

Adams and Reese has a long-standing reputation as one of the region's most prominent Government Relations firms now with 16 offices in 15 markets across the Southern United States and Washington, D.C."

Mark Gaines lobbies at the local, state and federal level - in Alabama and Washington, D.C. - advising corporate clients on regulatory, legislative and economic development matters. His clients include companies in the telecommunications, road and bridge construction, infrastructure, financial, pharmaceutical, health care, alcohol, and defense industries as well as municipal governments and educational institutions. Having spent 15 years in state government and more than a decade providing government relations services, Mark has developed long-term personal and professional relationships with important decision makers at every level of government. He is skilled at building political coalitions to achieve client objectives.

Prior to joining Adams and Reese, Mark served as Probate Judge for Jefferson County and was elected to four terms in the Alabama House of Representatives. During his time in the legislature, he served on various legislative committees and commissions and served as the Republican Leader of the House and Chair of the House Republican Caucus. Mark has managed, consulted or counseled dozens of political campaigns, grassroots efforts and ballot initiatives, including races for Governor, U.S. Senate, judicial offices, and state legislative seats.

Prior to joining the firm, Mark was in private law practice concentrating in the areas of real estate, probate, wills, trusts and business entities. He tried many jury and non-jury cases to verdict in courts throughout Alabama.

Professional Affiliations & Memberships:
Alabama House of Representatives, Member, 1990-2005
Jefferson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, Vice Chair, 2004-2005
Jefferson County Coroner and Medical Examiner's Board, Member, 1998-2005
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, Commissioner, 1994-2005
Probate Judge of Jefferson County, 2005-2007

20+ years

Named Top Lobbyist by Austin Business Journal Girl Scouts' "Woman of Distinction" AwardAustin Business Journal's "Profiles in Power" "Austin Under 40" AwardGlossy 8 list by Austin American-Statesman Austin Fashion Week's "Style Setter" Award

Lobbyist, political fundraiser and national political commentator Andrea McWilliams is a skilled strategist, combining grace with grit and patience with persuasion. Known for her meticulous attention to detail, McWilliams brings her unique expertise to every issue she engages drawing on her time in both the private and public sector. The national media, including FOX News, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, USA Today, CNN, BBC, and NPR have all reported on McWilliams' role as a leading fundraiser and political strategist. Named Texas Businesswoman of the Year by the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Texas, she was recognized as "consigliere to the powerful and political." McWilliams was the only lobbyist profiled together with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House in Texas Monthly's "POWER" feature highlighting the most powerful people at the Texas Capitol.

McWilliams is also a proud recipient of both the Austin Business Journal's "Profiles in Power" and the Girl Scouts' "Woman of Distinction" Award. She has received the "Austin Under 40" Award, and the Austin American-Statesman honored her as a member of its Glossy 8 list. Last year, McWilliams received Austin Fashion Week's "Style Setter" Award, recognizing her work and dedication on behalf of local nonprofit organizations.

A Chief of Staff at the Texas Capitol at just 21, McWilliams went on to hone her private sector grassroots skills at the iconic public relations company Public Strategies, Inc. Today, she is the President of McWilliams Governmental Affairs (MGA), a full-service firm of governmental affairs consultants, respected and trusted at the local, state and national level.

Family and Community:

Raised just steps from the Texas Capitol on Congress Avenue, McWilliams now resides in Old Enfield, raising three children in a historic home.

She is a well-known philanthropist, community volunteer and proud native of Austin, named on many occasions to the "All-Stars" of Austin American Statesman Fortunate 500 list. McWilliams is honored to serve on the Board of St. David's Medical Center, one of the largest health systems in Texas and the third-largest private employer in the Austin area. Last year, McWilliams was also appointed to the Board of the Save Historic Muny District whose charge is to preserve 141-acres of green space in Central Austin that includes Lions Municipal Golf Course ("Muny"), widely recognized as the first public golf course in the South to become integrated and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, she enjoys her time on the Pease Park Capital Campaign Committee whose efforts will transform this important landmark for future generations in her hometown.

McWilliams currently serves on the PAC Board of RYAN, an award-winning global tax services firm based in Dallas. And, she has also served as a board member for many other non-profit organizations, including Texas Lyceum, Mexi-Arte Museum, Arthouse, Rise Across Texas Challenge, HeartGift, Austin Children in Crisis, Pioneer Farms and the Waterloo President's Council. She is an inaugural member of the Long Center's Notable Women and a long-time member of the St. David's Hospital Toast of the Town Committee. True to her roots, McWilliams is a proud past President of Inherit Austin, an organization founded to preserve Austin's architectural and cultural past by not only protecting the city's important landmarks and historical fabric, but safeguarding its unique character as well.

McWilliams has represented the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and KillCancer, two nonprofit groups committed to cancer prevention. She was also honorary chair for the Mamma Jamma Ride, which since its inaugural ride, has raised millions of dollars for non-profits serving thousands of Central Texans coping with breast cancer. In recognition, the Seton Breast Cancer Center in Austin named their screening room after McWilliams. In 2018, McWilliams additionally served as the honorary chair of the Celebration of Life, the most significant fundraising event for breast cancer in Austin, Texas.

In partnership with the Austin Business Journal, McWilliams enjoys volunteering as a business mentor to other young women in Central Texas. Aside from her continued board service with Preservation Austin, Ballet Austin and the Pease Park Conservancy, she also served as a member of the Girl Scouts Centennial Celebration Committee and chaired Austin's largest charity event, the Ballet Fete, benefiting Ballet Austin. McWilliams additionally co-chaired the Marathon Kids gala and was a chair of the University of Texas Blanton Museum of Art Gala. In support of the Center for Child Protection, McWilliams was a celebrity dancer for Austin's inaugural "Dancing With The Stars" fundraising event. She is a proud past member of the Texas Emerald Ball Committee, whose endeavors support the American Ireland Fund.

During the 86th Legislative Session, McWilliams also served on the Governor For A Day Committee.