Our Team

Chris Yianilos serves as Virginia Tech’s Vice President for Government & Community Relations where he oversees state and federal government relations and local government and community relations activities in the greater Washington, DC area.  

While Chris started working for Virginia Tech in 2009, his connection to the university spans over thirty years.  He is a graduate of the university, has been an engaged alumnus, and he serves as a member of the President’s senior leadership team.  Chris also founded and teaches the university’s “Hokies on the Hill” program, which is an experiential learning program in Washington, DC, focused on Capitol Hill and the U.S. Constitution.

 Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Chris served for a decade as Senator John Warner’s chief counsel, legislative director, and deputy chief of staff.  He also briefly worked in a senior legislative role for Congressman Rob Wittman. 

While on Capitol Hill, Yianilos earned respect on both sides of the aisle and a reputation as someone with a strong portfolio of legislative accomplishments. Legislative highlights of his work include: The Teacher Tax Relief Act (Public Law 107-47); The 21st Century GI Bill of Rights (Public Law 110-252); The Gang of 14 “Agreement on Judicial Nominations;” Preserving and Implementing the $5 billion rail to Dulles Airport project; and the Lifespan Respite Care Act (Public Law 109-442); among others. 

Chris graduated from Virginia Tech with a double major in political science and history and earned his JD at Washington & Lee University.  He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and has served as a federal law clerk to a US district court judge.  Chris is also the author of a self-help book for law school students, called, The Law School Breakthrough, and the co-author of “Ethics Reform Legislation: The Federal Experience and the Commonwealth of Virginia,” an article published in Virginia Issues and Answers magazine.

He resides in the City of Alexandria.  While he works in Blacksburg and Richmond, Virginia, his primary office is located in the Virginia Tech Research Center – Arlington.

Elizabeth Hooper currently serves as Virginia Tech's Associate Vice President for Government & Community Relations and is based in Richmond, VA. Previously, Elizabeth served as Director of State Government Relations. Before joining the Office of the President in 2010, she completed her Master of Public Administration and Public Affairs at Virginia Tech while working simultaneously as Virginia Tech’s General Assembly Fellow for the 2008 Legislative Session.

As Virginia Tech's Associate Vice President of Government and Community Relations, Elizabeth communicates the University's priorities to Virginia's executive and legislative branches while also communicating governmental priorities and opportunities back to campus leadership.  She works with university officials to develop and coordinate strategies on a broad array of state government issues, including the University’s budget priorities and requests. Most recently, Elizabeth helped to secure Virginia Tech’s participation and funding in the Commonwealth’s higher education package for Amazon’s HQ2, and Virginia Tech’s capital resources for the Innovation Campus in Alexandria, VA. 

Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Elizabeth served in a variety of roles for a number of Virginia elected officials, including then Governor Tim Kaine, Virginia Delegate and Minority Leader Ward Armstrong, Virginia Delegate Jim Shuler, and Congressman Virgil Goode.

In addition to being an active alumna of Virginia Tech, Elizabeth is a 2006 graduate of Radford University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

She grew up in Southside, Virginia and developed a love for politics at a very young age. Elizabeth enjoys running, kick boxing, baking, American Revolutionary War history, and all things Virginia. She and her husband, Jimmy, reside in Richmond, VA.

Rebekah Gunn joined Virginia Tech in September 2019 and serves as the Director of Goverment & Community Relations, with a primary focus on federal relations. Rebekah is based on the main campus in Blacksburg and facilitates engagement between the Virginia Tech community and government officials, including campus visits, briefings, and other communications. 

Rebekah previously served as Vice President of Public Policy at the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and Manager of External Relations in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Rebekah is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Tech. 

Rebekah is active in her home community of Roanoke and enjoys hiking throughout Virginia's Blue Ridge. 

Emily joined Virginia Tech in January 2022 and serves as the Director of Local Government & Community Relations. Emily most recently served as the Director of Planning and GIS Services for Montgomery County, Virginia. Prior to joining the Montgomery County team in January 2015, Emily served as a planner in both a professional capacity and as a volunteer. She worked for Gloucester County for over eight years. She also served as a Planning Commissioner in Mathews County. Additionally, Emily volunteered as a regional director on the Board of PlanVA (now LUEP), an organization formed over 60 years ago that is committed to education on land use and planning issues. In 2012 Emily was elected as Vice President of Legislative and Policy Affairs for the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association and served in that capacity through 2016. Emily has been recognized nationally by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) with a Traeger Award in 2016 and 2019 as a top influencer in local government. 

Emily enjoys living in Blacksburg with her family and taking advantage of all the outdoor recreation opportunities the New River Valley has to offer. 

Lauren Augustine joined Virginia Tech in November 2022 as the Associate Director of Government & Community Relations. Lauren is a connection point for Northern Virginia elected officials and community leaders to engage with the university, including the Innovation Campus, the National Security Institute, and other Virginia Tech initiatives in the greater Washington, D.C. area. In addition, she helps advance the university's federal priorities.

Lauren previously served as the Vice President of Government Affairs for Student Veterans of America and Senior Legislative Associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. She also served in the U.S. Army as an unmanned aircraft systems operator. Lauren is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in international studies. She has a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University.

Lauren resides in the City of Alexandria and enjoys baking, knitting, and spending time with her family. 

Caroline Buscaglia currently serves as the Assistant Director for State Government Relations. In this role, Caroline assists with engaging Virginia state government officials on university priorities and monitoring legislative and budgetary issues before the Virginia General Assembly. 

In 2017, Caroline joined Virginia Tech as the Special Assistant for State Government Relations.  

Prior to that, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Virginia Tech where she was also a member of the Women’s Swimming and Diving Team. Caroline holds a Master of Public Administration and Public Affairs from Virginia Tech. She and her husband, Justin, reside in Richmond, Virginia. 

Christine McCann joined Virginia Tech and the Government Relations team in 2013.  She began her career in the performing arts in New York City where she developed her administrative, management and event planning skills.  Upon moving to Washington, DC she served as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of the World Bank and IMF credit union for nearly 10 years.  Her next, and perhaps final stop, was Blacksburg to begin the dream job of raising her daughter and planting her garden.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Siena College, Loudonville, NY.