Leland Hopkins
Aegis Dei Founder & Teaching Principal
Leland Hopkins
As Founder and Teaching Principle, Leland Hopkins brings a unique blend of training and experience to Aegis. Having spent the last several years in the Memphis Fire Department’s Special Operations Section, Hopkins responsibilities have included hazardous materials and WMD response at the local, state, and federal level. He has developed and delivered training curricula in both disciplines as well as developed response and management SOPs for each. During this same period, Hopkins has trained at some of the foremost WMD facilities in the world, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Domestic Preparedness at Fort McClellan, New Mexico Institute of Mines and Technology’s Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center, Louisiana State University’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training, the Counter-Terrorism Operation Support Branch at Nevada Test Site, the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground, and the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy. In 1992 Hopkins became one of the founding members of Tennessee Task Force One, one of 28 FEMA sponsored and federally funded Urban Search and Rescue Teams strategically located throughout the U.S. During his tenure he has served as a Hazardous Materials Specialist and Weapons of Mass Destruction Specialist on 21 federal disaster declarations, and 4 national security events. He currently serves as one of the team's WMD and Hazardous Materials Team Managers, and as a WMD instructor within the FEMA USAR System. He is a WMD Subject Matter Expert for the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, and currently chairs the TNTF-1, WMD Work Group.
Bree Hopkins
Vice President of Marketing
Bree Hopkins
With a Bachelors of Arts in Music and a Masters Degree in Business, Bree Hopkins brings an interesting combination of creativity & expertise to the Aegis Dei staff. Originally from the Bluegrass State - Ms. Hopkins earned her Bachelors Degree in Music from Murray State University in 2003. Shortly after graduation from MSU, she began working for Union University's Office of Development in Jackson, Tennessee. It was during her tenure there that the administration noticed her talent for relationship building, pursuit of new donor prospects, and technical expertise. In an effort to fine tune those talents, Ms. Hopkins attained a Masters of Business Administration from Union University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2007 . Ms. Hopkins will have the primary responsibility in the cultivation of new clients, ensuring an exceptional level of customer service, and scheduling classes for the Aegis instructors.
Having served as Marketing Director for Chick-fil-A (Old Hickory Mall - Jackson, TN /Oak Court Mall - Memphis, TN) and Territory Manager for Girl Scouts Heart of the South, Ms. Hopkins has a strong education in Customer Service and Marketing.
Having served as Marketing Director for Chick-fil-A (Old Hickory Mall - Jackson, TN /Oak Court Mall - Memphis, TN) and Territory Manager for Girl Scouts Heart of the South, Ms. Hopkins has a strong education in Customer Service and Marketing.
