Our News

Meeting mid-century climate goals will require a wholesale shift in energy generation and use that will involve new technologies, new processes and new approaches. One such approach is the nascent advanced nuclear energy industry, which seeks to develop new, generally smaller and often-modular reactors that promise more flexibility, greater applicability in multiple types of environments and lower cost of operations. Communicating about nuclear energy has been a challenge for

Events of the past few years have thrust corporate leaders into the spotlight in new ways and raised expectations for action. The dialogue has certainly changed in terms of the national conversation about corporate responsibility, particularly in light of growing recognition of the need for urgent action on climate change. We have the good fortune of working with a number of corporations and other leaders shaping this national conversation. One such person is DSM North Americ

Our firm’s focus is on public affairs: communications about policy and politics and everything in between. With the start of a new session of Congress and the inauguration of a new President, many of us are focused on the role of public policy in our daily lives. And of course, we’re always interested in the political "horse races" that decide what kinds of policy get made. With that in mind, now seemed like a good time to ask Mayor Annise Parker for her take on politics and

The Common Sense Colloquy is one of the things I’ve prioritized since launching it in February of 2018. It does require time and effort, but it’s always worth it. I get so much out of the insight and perspective of the people I’m fortunate enough to interview for this Q&A series. Sharing favorite comments from the participants is always the most fun part of summarizing the year we just concluded. It’s also the hardest part: what should I choose when everything that the parti

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

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

In addition to hosting the most important national election of our lifetimes, November is also Transgender Awareness Month (and this is Transgender Awareness Week). So the choice for this month’s guest for the Common Sense Colloquy seemed clear: Interim Family Equality CEO (and former client) Denise Brogan-Kator . Family Equality is the nation’s premiere advocacy group for LGBTQ+ families (and, full disclosure, a former client of RENEW PR ). At a time when the rights of LGBT

I thought for a while about the focus of this Q&A in this final month before one of the most consequential elections of our lives. What kind of conversation would be helpful at a time in which we have finally realized that we can’t talk enough about racial justice? Who could I talk with about LGBTQ issues and the election during LGBTQ History Month and a month in which RENEW PR is supporting the Washington Blade’s month-long campaign to urge the LGBTQ community to vote ? For

In a year like no other in our recent history, it’s helpful to have constants you can rely on to help navigate and understand the changing world around you. One of those constants for us is smart people. And one of the smart people we are happy to be able to turn to is Chiqui Cartagena , the Chief Marketing Officer for The Conference Board in New York City. Chiqui’s lived and learned experience provides a helpful starting point for determining how to adjust and adapt communic

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

Welcome to Pride Month and to the first Common Sense Colloquy to focus on LGBTQ communications. Going forward, we’ll be including LGBTQ communications leaders along with the energy and environment communications leaders we’ve highlighted in the first 27 (!) Q&As. This commitment to including LGBTQ leaders matches our expanded business focus area which now formally includes LGBTQ communications (although we’ve been working on LGBTQ communications and energy and environment com

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