Chris Averill

Chris helps clients tell their story to policymakers and the public. After a long career in and around government, Chris is an expert in translating complex policy issues into plain and persuasive language that connects with and motivates target audiences.

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Chris joins Benchmark after being part of the Montana S360 team for nearly three years. He joined S360 after serving as Communications Director at the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Before that, he served as Regional Administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) New England Region during the final two years of the Trump Administration.  In that role, Averill oversaw all of GSA’s operations in the six New England states, including management of federal real estate, information technology, acquisition, and fleet vehicles, while liaising with industry partners and state, local, and Tribal governments.  He also served as a Communications Advisor in GSA’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs in the agency’s Washington, D.C. headquarters.

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Chris previously spent seven years on Capitol Hill as communications director for former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Congressman Sam Graves (R-MO), as well as on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, where he handled a varied portfolio of issues including manufacturing, innovation, economic development, government contracting, military base redevelopment, and veterans entrepreneurship.

In between his work in the public sector, Averill was Director of Federal Affairs at The New England Council, where he assisted member organizations with financial services, tax, and advanced manufacturing advocacy before Congress and the Executive Branch.

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Chris has worked on behalf of numerous Republican campaigns, including as Field Coordinator for Snowe’s 2006 re-election, campaign manager for Charlie Summers for U.S. Congress (ME-1) in 2008, and on policy and communications working groups for several Virginia gubernatorial candidates. He is currently advising several Montana Republican campaigns in the 2024 cycle.

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Chris is a graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, with a B.A. in History and a minor in Government and Legal Studies.  Finally, putting his history degree to use, he currently serves as Chair of the Montana 250th Commission, the Montana State Historic Preservation Review Board, and the Helena Lewis and Clark County Heritage Tourism Council. He resides in the Helena Valley with his wife, Amanda, and two-year old son, Jack.