Rich Lopez is a senior vice president in FTP’s government relations practice, where he provides strategic counsel to clients across a range of industries on federal policy, appropriations, congressional engagement, and executive branch advocacy. He works closely with members of Congress, congressional committees, federal agencies, and stakeholder organizations to advance client priorities and secure legislative and regulatory outcomes. Rich has played a leading role in appropriations advocacy, transportation policy initiatives, defense authorization and appropriations efforts, border-related issues, and coalition-building efforts, while also supporting congressional testimony preparation, fundraising initiatives, and high-level stakeholder engagement. He serves on the Board of the Future Forum Foundation and on the Corporate Advisory Board of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI).
Prior to joining FTP, Rich served as director of federal and administration affairs at General Motors, where he led the company’s engagement with Congress and federal agencies on connected and autonomous vehicle policy, privacy, cybersecurity, safety, and diversity initiatives. He developed and executed GM’s outreach strategy to Hispanic members of Congress and leading national Hispanic organizations, while cultivating relationships across the administration and key regulatory agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Federal Trade Commission, and Federal Communications Commission.
Before General Motors, Richard spent nearly a decade with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers as senior director of federal government affairs. There, he led industry advocacy efforts on connected and autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity, intellectual property, transportation reauthorization, and vehicle safety policy. His accomplishments included helping secure passage of the “Cash for Clunkers” program, advancing the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, reestablishing the Congressional Auto Caucuses, and coordinating broad industry coalitions that influenced major legislative and regulatory outcomes.
Earlier in his career, Rich served as executive director of legislative affairs for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), where he represented more than 400 colleges and universities and helped secure significant federal investments for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. He also held leadership positions in political advocacy and fundraising organizations and worked for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Representative Joe Baca (D-CA), Texas State Senator Mario Gallegos (D), and the Texas Hospital Association. Throughout his career, Rich has built a reputation as a trusted advocate, coalition builder, and strategic advisor with deep relationships across Congress, federal agencies, industry, and the Hispanic community.
Connor is an associate in FTP’s federal government relations practice. His work spans policy areas including healthcare, trade, manufacturing, energy, AI, quantum computing, and prediction markets. Connor specializes in translating large volumes of legislative, regulatory, political, and stakeholder information into actionable insights. He also works on the firm’s efforts at the cutting edge of how policy intelligence is organized and consumed, developing dashboards, visualizations, and other tools that help teams synthesize critical information flows. Additionally, Connor conducts congressional and executive branch outreach, supports project management across client accounts, and coordinates the development of strategic communication materials.
Prior to joining FTP’s federal government relations practice, Connor interned with the firm’s state advocacy (governor engagement) team. Earlier in his career, he interned in the Colorado State Legislature and on Capitol Hill, worked on three political campaigns, and worked at a Colorado-based lobbying firm.
Jeff Forbes is the founding partner and chairman of FTP. A 20-year veteran of political campaigns at every level, Jeff began his involvement in politics more than 25 years ago on then-Senator Al Gore’s 1988 Presidential bid. Since that time, he has worked with and coordinated numerous campaigns, ranging from municipal candidates to the U.S. Congress, as well as the White House.
Prior to founding Forbes Tate Partners (FTP), Jeff was a founding partner at Forbes Tate’s predecessor, Cauthen Forbes & Williams. He served as the Democratic staff director for the US Senate Committee on Finance in 2003. Before assuming this role at the Committee, he served as chief of staff to former Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) from 1999-2002. Beyond his knowledge of the intricacies of tax and trade, Jeff is a veteran strategist for the Democratic National Committee. From 1993-1995 he served as Midwest political director. Jeff later served the national committee as chief of strategy in 1999.
A stalwart of the Clinton-Gore administration, Jeff was the New Hampshire field director for then-Governor Clinton’s 1992 Presidential campaign. In President Clinton’s 1996 re-election bid, he was deputy political director and director of delegate selection. Following the campaign, Jeff went on to serve as a special assistant to the President and staff director for legislative affairs in 1997. From 1998-99, he served as the deputy assistant to President Clinton and was the deputy director of scheduling at the White House. He also served as senior advisor to the Obama for President Campaign in New Hampshire in the 2008 presidential election. Jeff was a member of the Democratic National Committee’s special Democratic Change Commission to improve the presidential delegate selection process and has been a member of the DNC since 2009.
Jeff was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Northfield, Minnesota. He earned a B.A. in Political Science with an Economics minor from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, in 1987. Jeff and his wife live in Chevy Chase, Maryland with their three sons.
Colleen is an executive vice president in FTP’s public affairs practice. She brings more than two decades of experience leading integrated communications and public affairs campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels for a diverse portfolio of clients, including Fortune 50 companies, nonprofit organizations, and trade associations. She oversees FTP’s 50‑state field network, guiding strategy and execution across markets.
Prior to joining FTP, Colleen founded and led Elevation Advocacy, a boutique public affairs firm. Earlier in her career, she served as vice president of public affairs at Capitol Direct Messaging, where she directed issue advocacy campaigns for clients across multiple industries, including AARP and Ford Motor Company.
Colleen’s expertise centers on advancing complex issue advocacy efforts at the state and local level, leveraging grasstops engagement, strategic communications, and targeted voter outreach to drive legislative and regulatory outcomes. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University Maryland and also studied at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. Colleen lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and son.
Kristina is a partner in FTP’s government relations practice. She helps companies, trade associations, and nonprofits secure federal funding and move their legislative priorities through Congress. Her command comes from more than a decade across House Appropriations and Energy and Commerce, and from relationships that run deep across the House Republican Conference. For clients who need a program funded, a priority written into an appropriations bill, or a policy advanced before Congress and the administration, Kristina builds and executes strategies that work both the process and politics to deliver.
As legislative director to Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (R-IN), Kristina led the office’s work on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, helping drive two of the era’s most significant public health laws, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the federal response to the opioid epidemic, and the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which governs how the nation prepares for pandemics and biological threats. As legislative director to Congressman David G. Valadao (R-CA), she ran his agenda on the House Appropriations Committee across agriculture, healthcare, energy, trade, and water, and helped advance the Western Water and American Food Security Act into the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which authorized new federal investments in water storage for drought-stricken California and water systems nationwide.
Today, Kristina advises clients across many sectors including healthcare, life sciences, environment, energy, utilities, agriculture, and technology, along with patient-advocacy coalitions, on how to navigate the appropriations cycle and the high-stakes funding and policy fights that shape their industries. She pairs her House Republican relationships with a practical, member-by-member command of how federal money actually moves, and what it takes to turn a client’s priority into a line in the federal budget. A native Californian who got her start in campaigns up and down the state, Kristina stays closely connected to the California delegation she has worked with throughout her career. Kristina holds a B.S. in Political Science and a minor in Communications from Santa Clara University.
Jay is a partner in FTP’s federal government relations practice. He is a senior government relations strategist with over two decades of experience navigating the complexities of Capitol Hill and the federal policymaking ecosystem. He excels at bridging the gap between high-level vision and granular execution, uniquely pairing long-term strategic foresight with the precise tactics necessary to achieve impact.
By blending deep institutional fluency with sharp political intelligence, Jay empowers clients to anticipate policy inflection points and align complex stakeholder incentives. He doesn’t just design roadmaps; he engineers pragmatic, actionable engagement plans that transform legislative challenges into opportunities.
A trusted advisor to senior executives and policymakers alike, Jay is adept at synthesizing volatile political landscapes into coherent, executable strategies. His work is defined by an ability to secure bipartisan consensus, proactively mitigate regulatory and reputational risk, and consistently deliver measurable results in Washington’s most challenging environments.
Prior to joining FTP, Jay was a top legislative assistant for former Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) — handling a broad set of issues before the Commerce, Finance, and Energy and Natural Resources Committees. He served as the director of government affairs at CTIA — The Wireless Association® where he led the group’s Democratic lobbying shop implementing the CTIA’s legislative agenda — which focused on tax, competition, and spectrum issues. Before joining Senator Baucus, Jay served as a leading economist for the Montana Public Service Commission. Here, he concentrated on the economic analysis of the telecommunications, and oil and gas industries.
A third-generation Montanan, Jay has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Montana. He resides with his wife in Washington, DC.
Bob is a partner in FTP’s public affairs and government relations practices. He joined the firm in 2017 after serving two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Illinois’s 10th Congressional District, where he became known for pragmatic leadership, a bipartisan approach to governance, and a commitment to tax reform, health care improvements, and economic growth. A dedicated public servant and small‑business owner, Bob built a reputation as an independent voice in Congress focused on practical solutions.
During his time in Congress, Bob prioritized tax reform to support small businesses and middle‑class families. Drawing on firsthand experience as a business owner, he championed policies that encouraged growth, job creation, and economic stability, supporting legislation to simplify the tax code, reduce burdens on small businesses, and provide incentives for innovation and investment. He also worked to ensure greater financial security for families, advocating for middle‑class tax relief and responsible fiscal policies to reduce the national deficit.
Bob was a key advocate for practical health care reform focused on affordability, accessibility, and innovation. He opposed efforts that would strip protections from individuals with pre‑existing conditions and supported bipartisan efforts to strengthen health care markets, lower prescription drug costs, and expand choices for families and employers, emphasizing patient‑centered solutions and high‑quality, affordable care.
As chairman of the Tuesday Group, a caucus of moderate Republican lawmakers, Bob helped foster bipartisan cooperation in Congress. He worked to bridge the gap between Republicans and Democrats and played a key role in shaping legislation on infrastructure, economic policy, and government transparency. Prior to being elected to Congress, Bob served as investigative counsel for the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee and ran a small business. He holds a B.A. from Denison University, a J.D. from Indiana University, and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and lives on the North Shore of Chicago with his wife, Danielle, and their three children.
George is a partner in FTP’s federal government relations practice. He leads the firm’s natural resources and outdoor recreation government affairs work, representing nonprofits, corporations, and trade associations on policy related to natural resource conservation, public lands, marine fisheries, agricultural land, tax, trade, and appropriations issues. George leverages his network in Washington and beyond to connect clients with the right people on Capitol Hill and in relevant federal agencies and help them deliver messages that produce meaningful results.
Prior to joining FTP, George served as president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, where he helped build advocacy around marine resources management, outdoor recreation access, public lands management, private lands agricultural policy, and federal funding for natural resource management. Before that, he spent more than a decade at CNN as a senior producer covering public affairs, the White House, and Capitol Hill.
Tori is a vice president in FTP’s insights and analytics practice. Drawing on a decade of experience in opinion research, government, and public affairs, she is a data-driven strategist who helps clients navigate complex policy, reputation, and business challenges.
Combining quantitative and qualitative research, media analysis, and audience intelligence, Tori uncovers the stories behind the data and translates those insights into effective communications and advocacy strategies. Her work frequently focuses on healthcare and technology issues. She helps clients identify emerging trends, shape narratives, engage key audiences, and make informed decisions in rapidly evolving environments.
Prior to joining FTP, Tori worked at Public Opinion Strategies, where she supported political campaigns, ballot initiatives, and public affairs clients. She began her career on Capitol Hill, and her experience in both research and government gives her a strong understanding of the intersection of public opinion, policy, and advocacy.
A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Tori lives on Capitol Hill with her husband, Nate. Outside of work, she enjoys trying new restaurants and cheering on the Buckeyes. Tori is currently pursuing her M.B.A. from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Cindy is a partner in FTP’s federal government relations practice and leads the firm’s Democratic advocacy. She works at the center of Democratic policymaking, with relationships across House and Senate leadership and the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Senate Finance Committees, where the party’s economic agenda takes shape. She guides Fortune 500 companies, industry innovators, investors, and trade associations across tax, trade, technology, energy, education, healthcare, and life sciences, providing direct access to the centrist Democrats who often decide outcomes in Congress.
As chief of staff to Representative Ron Kind (D-WI), Cindy led legislative efforts on the Ways and Means Committee and helped relaunch the New Democrat Coalition, building its first PAC and recruiting its first executive director. She maintains deep relationships across the New Democrat Coalition—now the largest bloc in the House and a pro‑growth center of gravity in Democratic politics—and is a leading fundraiser for the party, raising for committee leaders, front‑line members, and Midwestern candidates at the center of the fight for the majority.
Previously, Cindy served as vice president of legislative strategies at the Campaign to Fix the Debt and held senior roles at several government‑relations firms. She began her career on Capitol Hill in the office of Representative Bart Stupak (D-MI).
