11-15 years

Past president of Association of Connecticut Lobbyists

Featured presenter at the CT Lobbying Conference on "Lobbying the Executive Branch" the past four years.

2019 Hartford Business Journal Forty Under 40

Over ten years of municipal land use experience on Planning and Zoning/Zoning Board of Appeals

Served as point person for the CT Conference of Municipalities on Energy, Labor and Zoning topics.

13 years of experience in contract lobbying; three years of experience in state and municipal government.

6-10 years

Brian serves as a senior vice president for McGuireWoods Consulting's state government affairs group in Columbia, South Carolina. Brian represents clients before the state legislature, local governments and executive branch agencies.

Representing a diverse group of clients on a range of issues including energy, transportation, education, alcohol, retail and non-profit advocacy, Brian has helped pass legislation related to emerging transportation, alcoholic beverage control laws and the energy industry. He has extensive experience in developing and implementing comprehensive government, grassroots and public affairs strategies for his clients.

Prior to joining McGuireWoods Consulting, Brian worked on a number of political and grassroots campaigns, and worked for Congressman Joe Wilson in his district office. Upon graduation from The Citadel, Brian took a commission in the Army as a Military Intelligence Officer. In 2010, he was deployed to Afghanistan with the 1-178th Field Artillery Battalion and served as the unit's Tactical Intelligence Officer. He is currently a Captain in the South Carolina Army National Guard and serves as the legislative liaison.

Brian lives in Columbia with his wife, where they are raising their two daughters.

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

FRANCIS X. MCMAHON, ESQ., the founder and president of Advocacy Solutions, has deep expertise in ally development, grassroots and grasstops coalition building, strategic communications management, and online advocacy for clients in a wide range of industries including healthcare, telecommunications, energy, and transportation.

Over the course of his career, Frank has been a key staff member and advisor on many winning political and issue campaigns. He served as Special Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlun and has led campaigns for Honda Motor Corporation, Verizon, and National Grid.

An avid Friar basketball fan, Frank is a graduate of Providence College, Suffolk University Law School, and a member of the Rhode Island State and Federal Bar Association.

11-15 years

In 2023, Rory was recognized as a VIP in the Maryland Daily Record's Veterans in Business in Law.

Recognized as a 2024 Woman to Watch by Shore Magazine, Lindsay has received multiple awards including the 2022 Don W. Beise Award, the 2017 Reaching for Excellence Award, and the 2016 Urbanski Grassroots Award.

In 2023, Michael was honored as Partner of the Year by the Maryland Association of Destination Marketing Organizations.

Rory Murray joined Providence Strategies as Principal in 2021. A native of the Philadelphia area, he
relocated to Maryland in 2007. Rory served honorably in the United States Marine Corps for three years, achieving the rank of Sergeant. Following his military service, he continued his career as a Maryland State Trooper. Rory holds a bachelors degree in political science from Towson University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Baltimore, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. After graduating from law school, he joined a prestigious lobbying firm in Annapolis before assuming the role of Vice President of Advocacy at the MD|DC Credit Union Association. In 2023, Rory was recognized as a VIP in the Maryland Daily Record's Veterans in Business in Law. He resides in Ellicott City with his wife, Emilie, has three young children, and their dog named Maddie.

20+ years

Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Government Relations, 2011-2020
Member, Virginia Code Commission
Commissioner (Virginia), Uniform Law Commission

In addition to being an attorney with McGuireWoods LLP, Chris is an executive vice president in McGuireWoods Consulting. His government affairs practice consists of representing clients before the Virginia legislature, executive branch and state and local agencies.
Chris' legal practice involves advising companies on political law compliance activities, including lobbying, gift restrictions involving public officials, campaign finance, and government ethics laws. He also holds the CIPP/US credential as a Certified Information Privacy Professional from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

With more than 25 years of experience in Virginia government and politics, Chris has developed a deep knowledge of Virginia state and local government and the legislative and regulatory process. Drawing on his experience as a lobbyist and as the former chief counsel to a Virginia attorney general, Chris assists clients in developing and implementing legislative and regulatory strategies to meet their business and public policy objectives.

Chris brings a unique perspective to his political law practice because of his government relations experience. Understanding the political process and the practice of government relations is essential to advising a client on how to comply with the myriad of federal, state and local rules governing lobbying, ethics, conflicts of interest, ethics in public procurement and campaign finance, while still achieving the client's business and public policy objectives.

Launched Cornerstone's 13th state office in South Carolina

Former Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel for the South Carolina House Ways and Means Committee

11-15 years

Tommy has been recognized during his government relations career as one of the top lobbyists at the North Carolina General Assembly. He was ranked as the 33rd Most Influential Lobbyist of the 2013-2014 Legislative Session by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research in its annual survey of lobbyists, legislators and Capitol Press Corps members.

Tommy is a senior vice president in the state government affairs group at McGuireWoods Consulting where he represents clients before the state legislature and U.S. Congress.
He brings more than a decade of experience in state and federal policy, legislative process and politics, including serving as senior staff for the North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem and several members of U.S. Congress. Tommy has a strong network throughout state government in North Carolina and the North Carolina congressional delegation, and has experience representing Fortune 500 companies, start-ups and trade associations before the North Carolina General Assembly, Congress and executive agencies on issues including energy, environmental, education, transportation, health care and information technology.
Prior to joining McGuireWoods Consulting, Tommy served as the director of state public affairs for Moore & Van Allen Public Affairs where he managed the Raleigh office and represented clients at both the state and federal level for Moore & Van Allen Public Affairs. Before his time at Moore & Van Allen, Tommy served as deputy chief of staff for policy for North Carolina President Pro Tem Phil Berger. Before Tommy worked at the General Assembly, he lobbied at the federal level for both the NC Farm Bureau and the National Pork Producers Council for several years. He also worked on Capitol Hill for nine years, including six years with Congressman Robin Hayes where he served as deputy chief of staff.
Tommy is a native of Raleigh, where he lives with his wife and two sons.

0-5 years

Past president of CT Conference of Municipalities

Recipient of Connecticut Magazine's "Forty under 40" award.

While serving as Mayor, passed municipal budgets, negotiated union contracts, deal with numerous crisis' and natural disasters.

Recognized on several fronts for achievements within the municipal sector. Also served as the Government Affairs Director for a multi-state waste and recycling company dealing with municipal and state policy.

Was elected as the youngest mayor in the state at age 22.

Served eight years in office as Mayor of the Town of Torrington.

11-15 years

Andrew Griffin is a Partner at Providence Strategies and a lifelong Marylander. He began his career on political campaigns at the federal, state and local levels. Andrew has a diverse professional background, including the highest levels of government, most notably in the Governor's Office and at the state's flagship public university. Most recently, Andrew was Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, the largest business advocacy organization in the state. His advocacy experience encompasses a wide range of issues before the Maryland General Assembly and the U.S. Congress, which has cultivated a strong belief in the importance of personal relationships and grassroots advocacy. Andrew resides in Annapolis with his wife, their two young children and Boykin Spaniel, Huck.