Heather Reams

Heather Reams is a highly respected non-profit executive and a nationally recognized conservative leader of clean energy and climate advocacy. She currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) and CRES Forum, leading nonprofit organizations based in Washington, DC, dedicated to conservative solutions to address our nation’s energy, economic and environmental security while increasing America’s competitive edge. She joined CRES and CRES Forum in 2016.

Under Ms. Reams’ visionary leadership, drawing from three decades of experience advancing mission-driven initiatives and shaping public discourse, CRES has helped shift the narrative around clean energy, influencing legislative outcomes in support of carbon reduction strategies, advanced energy technologies and economic opportunity.

One major part of her work includes being the architect of center-right clean energy engagement and education. Among her most notable achievements are the founding of National Clean Energy Week, an annual convening of industry leaders, policymakers and stakeholders recognizing the benefits and contributions of clean energy, as well as the founding and chairing of the Conservative Climate Foundation, a nonprofit organization that educates members of Congress, their staff and the public about clean energy and climate policy from a conservative angle. Reams also launched the CRES Clean Energy Champions program, which recognizes influential voices in advancing clean energy policy, and established CRES Academy, educational programming exclusively for Capitol Hill staff and emerging leaders. She is a Western Caucus Foundation advisory board member and serves on the board of directors for the American Conservative Coalition Action. Additionally, she is a member of the National Academies Forum on Energy Systems Transformation and Decarbonization.

A frequent commentator on the politics and policy of clean energy and the environment, Ms. Reams has been featured on NPR, Newsmax TV, FOX News, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, the Washington Examiner, Politico, Newsweek, Time, Roll Call, The Hill, Morning Consult and The Atlantic, among others. She is also a regular contributor to Real Clear Energy.

Ms. Reams began her career as a staffer in the offices of U.S. Senator Bob Smith (R-N.H.) and U.S. Congressman Gerald Weller (R-Ill.), and earlier as an intern for U.S. Senator Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) while pursuing her degree. Since then, she has held a number of senior nonprofit positions and spent a decade at several top D.C.-based public affairs firms.

A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science, Ms. Reams resides in her home state of Virginia, with her husband, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, and their two children. In her limited spare time, Ms. Reams enjoys cooking, traveling and volunteering for veterans’ causes.