As firm continues to grow, Cornerstone expands state footprint in addition to new capabilities in Delaware
Cornerstone Government Affairs, a leading bipartisan public affairs and consulting firm, announces the opening of offices in Denver, Colo. and Oklahoma City, Okla., and the launching of capabilities in Dover, Del. These new offices and capabilities mark a significant expansion of the firm’s national footprint, adding to existing offices in Washington, D.C., Baton Rouge, La., Des Moines, Iowa, Houston, Texas, Jackson, Miss., Chicago, Ill., Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Ga., Annapolis, Md., and Springfield, Ill.
“We are thrilled to have Brian and Jim join the team and are excited about expanding our geographic footprint to include Colorado, Delaware and Oklahoma,” said Managing Director Campbell Kaufman. “With this expansion, we remain committed to being an industry leader in the state and local marketplace and will continue to provide clients across the Middle Atlantic, South, and, now, Mountain West, a fully integrated offering.”
The Denver office, which establishes the firm’s Mountain West presence, will be led by Jim Driscoll, former senior legislative advisor to Governors John Hickenlooper and Bill Ritter, Jr. Prior to joining Cornerstone, Jim founded Jim Driscoll Consulting, where he established a proven track record of generating success for his clients. Jim brings years of experience working in various industries including energy, healthcare and education and will use his experience both in and out of the government to add value to new and existing clients.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to open up the Colorado office for Cornerstone and to work throughout the Mountain West,” Jim said. “Expansion out West makes sense for the firm’s rapidly growing client base.”
Furthermore, Cornerstone’s Oklahoma office, which amplifies the firm’s capabilities in the Mid- and Southwest, will be led by Brian Hackler, former deputy chief of staff and state director for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK). Brian previously served as a field representative for Sen. Inhofe covering Southwest Oklahoma and served in the United States Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007.
“I am excited to join such a great group of professionals at Cornerstone. Opening this office will offer me the opportunity to bring the exceptional talent and experience Cornerstone has to offer to Oklahoma,” Brian said. “I welcome the opportunity to work with business and community leaders and to engage with policymakers and elected officials to help overcome these challenging times.”
The launch of Delaware capabilities expands the firm’s east coast bandwidth and will provide a broader scope of service for existing and future clients. Ellen Valentino, a current senior consultant at the firm who has more than 30 years of experience lobbying in Maryland, Delaware, and D.C., will take lead on this expansion.