Robert R. Hoopes, Jr., '92

Robert Hoopes is a nationally recognized expert on media relations, issue advocacy and grassroots organizing. Robert has been active in electoral politics for over 25 years, getting his start in national campaigns in 1987 when he worked for Senator Biden in New Hampshire on his first run for President. Robert later joined the Senator in his Washington, D.C. office where he worked during the first Gulf War and Supreme Court nominations. Robert went on to work for Senators Chris Dodd, D-CT, and Alan Dixon, D-IL.

In 2012 Hoopes took a leave of absence from VOX to serve as the Chief of Staff for Vice President Biden’s DNC Convention team. In this role Hoopes oversaw and coordinated all aspects of the Vice President’s time in Charlotte, Convention staff and strategic positioning with state party leaders, members of Congress, donors and key stakeholder organizations. Hoopes has worked at the last six Democratic Conventions.

Hoopes provides counsel to a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies and well-known organizations ranging from AT&T, Bank of America, Paul G. Allen, United States Golf Association, Nucor Steel, VISA and Lumina Foundation. With each, he combines deep experience and a dynamic understanding of how reputation, brand and/or public affairs all work together to further an organization’s objectives. Hoopes has a unique skill in helping businesses understand the goals and objectives and policy makers as well as helping policy makers understand the goals and objectives of the businesses they regulate.

Inside and out of government Hoopes has worked on some of the largest public policy issues of the last 25 years, including passage of the landmark 1996 Telecommunications Act, Dodd-Frank legislation, the MCIWorldCom merger, NSA and privacy matters, the AT&T DirectTV merger and the successful passage of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China.

Hoopes is a sought after commentator on current political events and Washington issues. He provides regular political commentary for Fox News, Hannity, NPR, MSNBC, CBS Evening News and BBC World News.