Our News

Every year at this time for the past three years, we highlight the best of the best from our Common Sense Colloquy series: key advice and perspective on communications from a diverse group of energy, environmental and LGBTQ leaders who participated in our monthly Q&A series. In this, the second post in our three-part series marking the end of the third year of the Common Sense Colloquy, we’re sharing insight from twelve influential Presidents, CEOs, former Members of Congres

It’s hard to believe that we’ve now completed our third year of the Common Sense Colloquy , our series of monthly Q&As with influential energy, environmental and LGBTQ leaders. With three dozen interviews now completed, we have an even better archive of compelling, relevant and timely insight on common sense communications. As we do each year at this time, we’re sharing highlights of the wisdom we received in the year before from all 12 of our participants. This is the first

With the election of Joe Biden as President and a new Congress narrowly controlled by Democrats, the conventional wisdom is that any energy, environmental or climate policy that has a chance of being enacted must have broad support from companies, NGOs and others influencing the national dialogue. That assumption is, in turn, putting the spotlight on the companies and NGOs that will likely be part of that conversation. This month, we’re pleased to have the opportunity to incl

One of our objectives in conducting this ongoing series of Q&As is sharing insight from energy, environment or LGBTQ leaders that might be helpful to others in thinking through how to communicate, when to communicate or what to communicate. To do that, we committed to including a wide array of leaders from a diverse set of organizations. It’s why we started with a rule of alternating men and women each month and why we’ve redoubled efforts to ensure racial and sexual orienta

How better to wrap up our #WeveGotYourSix sixth anniversary celebration than to share the insight, perspective and compassion of the RENEW PR Team ? I’m fortunate to work with a group of communications professionals who aren’t just smart: they are also good people I am proud to call colleagues and friends. I picked #WeveGotYourSix as our anniversary theme to highlight the role our Team plays in our success. And I’m so glad I did: by nominating groups working on energy, envir

Later this month, RENEW PR will celebrate six years in business. If you follow us, you know that we like to celebrate anniversaries : we appreciate taking the opportunity to thank our clients, colleagues and friends for helping us build a sustainable, successful business. This year is, obviously, different. How should we “celebrate” in this perilous moment in time? After a year in which it seemed like we all needed a helping hand and a reminder that we’re all in this togethe

Renewable energy is one of the success stories of this century: wind and solar have grown exponentially (from a fraction of a percent of the nation’s electricity to more than 10% in 20 years) and they have the media coverage, legislative accomplishments and industry growth to prove it. I’m always happy to talk with leaders from the industry, particularly at points when they are even more relevant to the national conversation. So I’m thrilled this month to have the opportunity

Many of us only think about electricity when the lights are out or the air conditioning isn’t working. And even then, we don’t always understand the intricacies of how power is generated and transmitted to our homes. This month, we’re pleased to welcome an energy expert who understands that all too well. He works in an industry that advocates for a seemingly simple source of power – running water – but that has its own share of communications and policy challenges. His name i

We have arrived at an unusual and unexpected place in our nation’s history: the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and structural racism have upended society, government and business. As a nation, we are finally starting to have conversations about topics that should have been addressed years and years ago. And as communicators, we’re struggling to understand how best to engage in a world that has changed dramatically in a short time. When you’re facing new and challenging circumsta

One of the delights of conducting this series over the past several years (FYI that we’re now well past two dozen interviews!) is the opportunity to reconnect with former clients and other contacts. That’s what we’re doing this month with our latest Common Sense Colloquy Q&A. It’s our pleasure and privilege to be talking with Judy Rader , the senior vice president of corporate affairs, communications and philanthropy for Exelon Corporation . We had the good fortune to work wi

We’ve tried to be varied in the special guests who have participated in the Common Sense Colloquy as we have built this series over more than two dozen conversations. Over the past two+ years, we’ve featured two former Energy Secretaries, the head of the largest wildlife conservation organization in the country, financial community gurus, colleagues from the communications industry, senior leaders from academia, labor unions, companies, trade associations and more. This mon

We’re excited to kick off Year Three of the Common Sense Colloquy Q&A series with our friend, colleague and agency partner leader Laura Taylor . Laura is President and CEO of Silverline Communications , a DC-based full-service integrated communications agency focused on the B2B technology sector. Under Laura’s leadership, the firm has recently expanded its footprint beyond the DC metropolitan area with offices in Chicago and Salt Lake City. Silverline Communications is the n

This post concludes the three-part series celebrating the second year of the Common Sense Colloquy Q&A series . This post includes my favorite comment from each of the twelve smart people who participated in Year Two of this series. As with last year’s responses , I was again struck by how insightful and relevant the participants’ comments were for energy and environment communications today. In naming this series the “Common Sense Colloquy,” my intention was not just to link

Today, I’m sharing the second post in our three-part series marking the end of the second year of the Common Sense Colloquy . The Colloquy is our monthly Q&A series in which I pose questions about communications to energy and environmental leaders from a variety of influential organizations and institutions. Year Two was just as fascinating and insightful as Year One as you’ll see in the comments below highlighting the best common sense communications advice our participants

We’ve just wrapped up the second year of our series of monthly Q&As with influential energy and environmental leaders. It’s hard to believe we’ve now had two dozen participants in our Common Sense Colloquy series . As I noted last year at this time , I didn't know what to expect when I started this series in February 2018. What I hoped was that I’d get smart people to share common sense advice about communications. The results have far exceeded my hopes: each Q&A has been in

There are many ways to provide advice on common sense communications. One of the best is to, well, actually provide advice. This month, we have a wonderful example of that with a Common Sense Colloquy with Ethan Zindler, head of the Americas for BloombergNEF (BNEF). Ethan weighs in on what we can learn from others, the role of journalism in communications and more. It’s great stuff – and so helpful. Ethan’s advice brings to mind the adage that sometimes the best advice is th

The objective of this series is to share insight and perspective on the challenges of communicating about about energy and environmental topics from a variety of people involved in many different types of businesses and organizations. We’re proud this month to add the voice of Dr. Marilyn Brown, Regents' and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology . Dr. Brown is a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace P

As we approach our fifth anniversary in business later this month (more on that soon), I thought now would be a good time to follow-up on one of the commitments I made last year to celebrate our fourth anniversary. Last January , I announced that RENEW PR would conduct pro bono projects with four advocacy organizations in 2019 to mark our fourth anniversary in business. Here’s the follow-up on one of those commitments: the Alliance to Save Energy . In December, we provided p

This series of Q&As has provided the opportunity to talk with and learn from an amazing group of energy and environment leaders. For this, our 22nd Q&A, we’re keeping with the theme of engaging former government officials by welcoming the 13th Secretary of Energy, Ernest J Moniz . Secretary Moniz is now the President and CEO of the Energy Futures Initiative and EJM Associates. And as you’ll see in his answers, he’s an incredibly focused and astute advisor on the future of e

It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to engage with a business leader who also happens to be a former Obama Administration appointee and energy executive. Lucky us that today is one such day as we share our Common Sense Colloquy Q&A with Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) Chief Executive Officer Miranda Ballentine . We asked Miranda about REBA’s work as well as lessons she’s learned in her career. We love her succinct answer to our standard questions on best