CHRISTOPHER HOPKINS
President – River Landing Solutions
Whether it be on a local, state or federal level, in the 21st century the amount of politics at play in any governmental decision can derail the most common sense development project or energy solution. Today the reality is, if your opponents can run a campaign to derail you, beat them to the punch with a campaign of your own that will be transparent, educate the public, identify your supporters and mobilize your base in order to provide the political cover that decision makers need in today’s political sphere.
Christopher Hopkins has spent over 30 years working on campaigns both on the electoral playing field and finding political solutions for Fortune 500 Companies during the regulatory process. Chris has spent the past 20 years working exclusively with corporate clients navigating regulatory issues. Chris has run corporate campaigns in 36 states and 5 foreign countries managing over 250 regulatory campaigns for construction material companies, mining companies, commercial developers, gaming companies and philanthropists.
He is a regular speaker on overcoming the political difficulties of regulatory approvals, specifically in the aggregate and mineral industries. He has spoken before such organizations as the National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration and the American Exploration and Mining Association, The International Association for Public Participation and the International Council for Shopping Centers.
Chris has been an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, where he taught in the graduate program at the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources on how politics impact the regulatory processes and how to overcome organized opposition. Chris has also taught at the Global Mining Law Center at the James E Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona on the role that politics plays during the regulatory process. He has been a frequent guest lecturer at graduate programs at several other prestigious universities as well, including the University of Utah, the Missouri University of Science and Technology, and the University of Illinois. His articles are routinely published in industry trade journals.
Chris left electoral politics in 1999 to concentrate on regulatory affairs after managing and participating in more than 20 political campaigns over a 12-year period.
Chris completed his undergraduate studies and received his master’s degree in public policy from the University of Massachusetts. He has completed additional programs at Harvard, MIT and the Harvard Business School.
Chris resides in Franklin, Tennessee where he can be found relaxing around a nice fire, reading one of his countless books on political history and volunteering with his church. He is currently in the process of writing his first book which he crosses his fingers will be completed and published.
BETH HARRIS
Vice President of Social Media and Digital Marketing – River Landing Solutions
Beth began with River Landing Solutions in July of 2020. As an owner of mutiple digital marketing businesses, she has multi-faceted experience in digital marketing and tech services.
Beth understands the digital marketing industry and is able offer a complete digital marketing analysis to enable businesses to achieve the most effective strategy for their success.
Beth also has previous experience in the retail industry, focusing on store development, merchandise buying and visual merchandising, as well as order procurement with multi-million dollar budgets, project management and employee hiring and management.
Beth is an active volunteer working with under-served communities and non-profit organizations. She also fosters animals from the local shelters when they need help.
Beth graduated from Regis University in Colorado with a B.S. in Business Management. She moved to Nashville in 1995 and has been enjoying Middle Tennessee ever since.
Beth enjoys spending time outside gardening, hiking, and traveling or spending time with her two children and grandchild.
GREG O’BRIEN
Owner – Stony Brook Group
Editor and president of Stony Brook Group, a political/communications strategy and publishing company based in Brewster, Ma. on Cape Cod.
O’Brien, through Stony Brook Group, runs local, regional and national political and corporate communication strategy campaigns for a variety of purposes—from development permitting, to media consulting, to elections, community outreach, and marketing. Over the years, his client base has included: Stop & Shop, New England Development, CVS, the Kraft Group, and others.
O’Brien also has more than 35 years of newspaper and magazine experience as a writer, editor, investigative reporter and publisher. Over the years, he has contributed, among other publications, to: the Associated Press, UPI, USA Today, Cape Cod Times, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, The Arizona Republic, Boston Herald American, Boston Herald, Boston Metro, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Time magazine, Runner’s World, Reader’s Digest, Boston Metro, New York Metro, Philadelphia Metro, The Providence Journal, Boston Irish Reporter, and Boston Magazine where he was senior writer. He is former editor and publisher of The Cape Codder and Register newspapers, former editor of Cape Cod Life, and was a founding managing director of Community Newspaper Company, created by Fidelity Investments and now owned by Gatehouse Media, which owns/operates the Cape Cod Times, The Cape Codder, The Register and other Cape publications.
O’Brien is the editor/author of several books, has published more than a dozen books by other writers, and has been a contributor/consultant to National Public Radio (NPR), PBS/NOVA and other national media.