Heather Reams, President

Heather Reams is the President of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), a right-of center non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that engages policymakers and the public about responsible, conservative solutions to address our nation’s energy, economic, and environmental security while increasing America’s competitive edge. She has led the CRES team since 2016 and oversees the core activities of the organization, ensuring the successful expansion of conservative clean energy policies across the nation.

Heather has been Chair of National Clean Energy Week since 2017. She is a Western Caucus Foundation advisory board member and serves on the board of directors for the American Conservative Coalition. She is a frequent commentator on the politics and policy of clean energy and the environment having been featured on MSNBC, NPR, and Newsmax TV, and in The Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Politico, Newsweek, Time, Roll Call, The Hill, Morning Consult, and The Atlantic, among others. She is a regular contributor to Real Clear Energy.

Heather has nearly three decades of experience in public affairs and advocacy and has held a number of senior nonprofit positions. Prior to her non-profit work, she spent a decade at several top D.C.-based public affairs firms. She started her career as a staffer in the offices of Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) and Congressman Gerald Weller (R-IL11), and earlier as an intern for Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA) while pursuing her degree. A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science, Heather is active in Republican local and state affairs in her home state of Virginia, where she resides with her husband, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, and their two school-aged children.

Amy Farrell, Senior Vice President of  Government and Public Affairs

Amy Farrell is senior vice president of government and public affairs at Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) where she is responsible for translating mission into action and helping President and Board shape the overall strategy for the organization. Amy guides CRES policy direction and advocacy, overseeing all program delivery and leading communications, government relations, research, and policy development.

Amy is recognized in Washington DC and nationally as an energy and regulatory policy expert, strategist, and influential advocate. She has spent her entire career working at the intersection of government and energy industry development – she knows how government policy gets made and how to influence it; and she understands how government policy can impact the energy development landscape, industry bottom lines, and ultimately consumer pocketbooks.

Having held positions in the White House Economic Council, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), she has guided the development of energy and environmental policy at the highest levels of government. Amy marries this experience with a successful career building and managing advocacy teams and leading energy industry efforts to shape government policy and public perception to enable energy deployment.

Most recently, she was senior vice president of government and public affairs for American Clean Power (formerly the American Wind Energy Association), leading and overseeing the research, policy, regulatory, legislative and public affairs functions. Upon arriving at AWEA, Amy led an effort to establish Board-level priorities and a multi-year strategic plan and made organizational and investment changes, elevating the industry’s advocacy capabilities to better meet the needs of the maturing wind industry. She broke down silos and led the organizations’ crosscutting advocacy efforts during a period a growth in industry influence and deployment and delivered multiple state, federal and regional industry-priority policy wins.

Prior to AWEA, Amy led efforts of the U.S. natural gas industry to boost demand by influencing electricity market design and LNG export policy, first as Vice President for Market Development at America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) and later as Senior Director for Market Development at the American Petroleum Institute (API), following the merger of the two organizations. Her focus on market development came about when ANGA’s CEO tapped Amy to redefine the organization’s mission, establish consensus industry goals, develop a strategic advocacy plan and direct the functional group leading the effort. Prior to that, Amy was Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at ANGA, and led policy development and regulatory advocacy to ensure companies could develop natural gas resources. Amy’s first position in the private sector was at ExxonMobil where she worked as a corporate issues advisor on their government and public affairs team.

Amy has a Bachelor of Arts from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Shawn Affolter, Vice President of Government Relations

Shawn Affolter is Vice President of Government Relations at CRES. From 2018 to 2021, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Senate Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy. In that role, he was the agency’s principal liaison to the U.S. Senate and provided strategic advice to Departmental leadership on Congressional matters, including the Energy Act of 2020 and National Defense Authorization Act.

Since 2011, Shawn worked for U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND). In this capacity, Shawn helped advance key energy priorities including infrastructure policies, public-private research partnerships, advanced energy technology initiatives, and federal permitting reform. His work primary focused on the Senate Energy and Appropriations Committees, where he helped manage oversight and budget hearings, legislative mark-ups, agency nominations, and funding requests.

Mr. Affolter is a native of North Dakota and graduate of North Dakota State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and political science.

Evan Dixon, Vice President of Communications

Evan is vice president of communications at Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES). With experience in strategic thinking and creative communication, he is focused on promoting the organization and helping expand awareness of conservative clean energy policies across the nation.

He previously served as a press secretary and digital director for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who helmed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. As press secretary, Evan helped develop a media strategy, crafting messaging and organizing videos, graphics, and digital campaigns for major legislative accomplishments, including the Opioid Crisis Response Act, the Music Modernization Act, the FUTURE Act, and the Great American Outdoors Act. While working on Capitol Hill, Evan was elected by his peers to serve as president of the U.S. Senate Press Secretaries Association (SPSA).

Before his time in the U.S. Senate, Evan worked as a booking producer for Chuck Todd, NBC News’ political director and moderator of Meet the Press (MTP) and MTP Daily. He also worked in NBC News’ Washington Bureau as the weekend White House producer and the White House travel pool producer—traveling with President Obama to report for all major television news networks.

To start his career, Evan served as a legislative aide to then Texas State Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) following his role as the deputy communications director for former U.S. Representative Heather Wilson’s (R-N.M.) campaign for U.S. Senate in New Mexico.

Evan grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and graduated with honors from Texas Tech University, where he studied broadcast journalism and business administration.

Christine  Harbin, Vice President of External Affairs

Christine (Chrissy) Harbin joins CRES as the Vice President of External Affairs, where she advances policy priorities by cultivating strategic partnerships on and off Capitol Hill. Prior to joining CRES, she managed stakeholder engagement for the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) as Acting Senior Vice President for External Engagement and Acting Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives for EXIM’s Program on China and Transformational Exports. Previously, she held similar responsibilities at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental and External Affairs.

Previous to her administration experience, Christine led the federal policy engagement and coalition efforts of Americans For Prosperity, a nationwide grassroots organization, as Vice President of External Affairs. Before then, she held economic policy roles at the American Legislative Exchange Council, a Missouri-based think tank, and the White House National Economic Council during the George W. Bush administration. She holds bachelor’s degrees in economics, mathematics, and French from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium.

Ewelina Czapla, Director of Climate Policy

Ewelina comes to CRES Forum from the American Action Forum, a center right think tank, where she was the Director of Energy Policy and considered free market energy and climate policy solutions. Prior to AAF, Ewelina worked for more than 5 years at Arbo, where she advised clients on regulatory issues that arise throughout the planning, siting and operation of energy infrastructure projects. She earned a JD from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America, as well as a BS in Geological Sciences, and a BA in Philosophy with a concentration in Public Affairs, from George Washington University.

Tiffany Koch, Executive Assistant

Tiffany serves as the CRES Executive Assistant, where she ensures smooth daily operation of the team in project coordination and office management. She skillfully manages administrative duties and internal relations for CRES while performing in a fast-paced environment. Previously she has served as a Human Resources coordinator and has worked in the food service industry for over 10 years.

Rebecca Lorenzen, Policy Manager

Prior to joining CRES, Rebecca worked for the Mexican federal government for nine years, in the national security sector. She has served as an intern at the Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) of the Wilson Center, where she conducted research on environmental security and the links between environmental change, migration, conflict, and health. She holds a Master in Public Policy from Georgetown University, where she specialized in environmental policy, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City, Mexico.

John Nagle, Government Relations Manager

John Nagle serves as the Government Relations Manager at CRES. In that role, he supports all aspects of CRES’s lobbying efforts to advance free market clean energy policy solutions. Prior to his time at CRES, he worked as a major gift officer at Stand Together. In that role, he connected business and foundation leaders with opportunities to make a difference in the policy, education, and philanthropic spaces. John is a native of Southern California and graduate of American University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science.

Spencer Talley, Government Relations Coordinator

Spencer Talley serves as the Government Relations Coordinator for CRES Energy. In that role he liaises common sense energy solutions to the CRES network and beyond. Prior to joining CRES, Spencer interned on Capitol Hill, introducing him to the connection between sound policy, tax incentives, and clean energy directives. Spencer is from the DC area and recently graduated from Sewanee, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics while minoring in Business.

Jonny Lobeck, Director of Human Resources

Jonny Lobeck joins our team with over a decade of experience directing strategic, innovative HR initiatives at trade associations, not-for-profit organizations, and private companies. Prior to joining CRES, Jonny served in several HR leadership roles in the District of Columbia, including Director of Human Resources & Operations at Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and Director of Human Resources at Casey Trees.  Throughout his career, Jonny has developed a specialization in government affairs, policy, regulatory, and business development. Moreover, he created two HR departments, implemented Board-level DEI working groups, served as a thought partner during a merger and acquisition, and provided coaching to senior executives when stakes were high. The foundation of his work includes data-driven solutions to connect organizational goals with individual performance.

Tamara Kalandiya, Chief Financial Officer

Tamara Kalandiya oversees all the company’s financial functions. Her career spans 22 years of varied experience in financial management, non-profit leadership, and educational programming.

Before joining CRES in 2023, Tamara was a CFO and COO for the Middle East Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank dedicated to Middle Eastern studies.

Earlier in her career, Tamara held senior-level positions at the International Medical Corps, a global humanitarian aid organization.

Tamara is the founder and head of the Academy of Georgian Heritage, a US-based educational organization designed to offer supplemental classes for Georgian-American youth in the DMV area.

Tamara is a CPA and resides in Maryland with her husband and three school-aged children.

Elizabeth Daniels, Senior Communications Director

Elizabeth (Liz) Daniels serves as Senior Communications Director for CRES where she helps manage the communications team to ensure successful messaging of conservative clean energy policies and solutions. She was born and raised in Olympia, WA, and worked for Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) from 2015 to 2022 as a District Representative, Legislative Assistant, and Communications Director. Most recently, she served as Communications Director for the Congressional Western Caucus under Chairman Newhouse, where she cultivated Member relations and worked to advance the energy, water, lands, and agriculture priorities of the membership. She graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelors of Science in Political Science with an emphasis on Public Law and Political Philosophy.

Ashlie Dolce, Events Manager

Ashlie serves as Events Manager to assist in advancing external relations.  She graduated from George Mason University in May of 2022 where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in entrepreneurship.  While studying for her degree, she was the manager and events coordinator of a fine dining restaurant in Alexandria.

Benjamin Sumner, Communications & Digital Associate 

Benjamin joins CRES as a communications and Digital Associate. During the 2022 election cycle, Benjamin worked at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), supporting the digital team as the Email and P2P Coordinator. In this role, he cultivated content for digital communication and oversaw digital fundraising outreach to prospective political donors to U.S. Senate incumbents and candidates.

Upon graduation from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where he majored in Political Science, Benjamin began his career in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill as an intern for former U.S. Representative Phil Roe (Tenn.-01).

George David Banks, CRES Forum Senior Policy Fellow

Dave Banks is an economist, political analyst, and policy advocate, focusing on climate change, energy, and trade. He is a senior fellow at Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, serving as an adviser on Republican climate policy and politics. Banks has published peer-reviewed articles, reports, and opinion editorials on a variety of issues, including climate change, civil nuclear power, and energy markets and trade. As the inaugural CRES Forum Policy Fellow, Banks advises the organization on federal policy, communications, and external stakeholder relationships. The CRES Forum Policy Fellowship was created to feature individuals who have demonstrated expertise in public policy, climate science, and strategic communications for conservative issues. A native southeast Missourian, Banks was most recently Chief Strategist for the Republican side of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Previously, he was Executive Vice President at the DC-based American Council on Capital Formation. He was also President Donald Trump’s Special Assistant for International Energy and Environment at the National Economic and National Security Councils, Republican deputy staff director of the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, Senior Advisor on International Affairs and Climate Change for President George W. Bush, a State Department foreign service officer, and CIA economic analyst. During his government tenure, Banks received multiple meritorious awards, including the EPA Climate Protection Award for Diplomacy, a Department of State Superior Honor Award for promoting U.S. diplomatic objectives for the environment, and a Commendable Service Award from the Central Intelligence Agency. He holds a JD from George Mason University and a MA in economics and baccalaureate degrees in history, economics, and political science from the University of Missouri at St. Louis.

Marty Hall, CRES Forum Senior Policy Fellow

Marty Hall is Senior Policy Fellow at CRES Forum. Previously, he served as the Minority Staff Director for the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. He joined the select committee shortly after it was created in 2019. Hall also served as the chief strategic advisor and lead staff for the Republican leadership task force on Energy, Climate, and Conservation.

Prior to his joining the committee, he was Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies. As a member of the senior executive team, Hall was active in formulating, planning, and implementing the Business Roundtable agenda.

Before Business Roundtable, Hall was a vice president at FirstEnergy, one of the nation’s largest investor-owned utility companies. He joined the company in 2009 after leaving the White House at the end of the Bush Administration. During his tenure, he managed several corporate groups, including the environmental department; energy policy; advanced technologies group; and federal affairs. He served on a year-long special assignment as co-lead of the merger integration group tasked with developing integration plans for a multi-billion-dollar merger. The integration group was comprised of twelve teams and over five hundred employees.

Previously, Hall served in senior positions in both the White House and United States Senate. A top energy and environmental advisor to President George W. Bush, he was Chief of Staff of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Prior to the White House, Hall was Majority Deputy Staff Director for the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Hall began his professional career in the private sector working for a joint venture focusing on mergers and acquisitions.

Hall is a graduate of Northwestern University where he played football for the Wildcats.

Former Senator Kelly Ayotte, Senior Advisor

Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and served until 2017, where she was ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators working across party lines to find solutions to our nation’s biggest challenges. During her tenure in the Senate, Ayotte served on the Senate Budget, Commerce, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Armed Services, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Aging Committees. She chaired the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations. Previously, she served as New Hampshire’s first female Attorney General, first appointed by a Republican governor and twice reappointed by a Democratic governor. She also served as deputy attorney general, chief of the homicide prosecution unit, and as legal counsel to Governor Craig Benson. She currently is a Senior Advisor to Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions and serves on the boards of The Blackstone Group, Caterpillar, News Corp, BAE Systems, Boston Properties, Blink Health and Bloom Energy. She also serves on the advisory boards of Microsoft, Chubb Insurance and Cirtronics, as well as a number of non-profit boards.

James Dozier, President of the Board

James brings a wealth of Republican grassroots organizing, advocacy, and political experience to Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES). James has led CRES since 2013 and in that time, he has focused on growing conservative support for clean energy solutions to enhance our nation’s economic, energy, and environmental security. This work has included building out robust political and advocacy operations that have supported Republican clean energy champions in the House and Senate.

Micah Yousefi, CRES Board

Micah Yousefi currently serves as the Political and Policy Director for Winning for Women. She is an experienced political operative, is passionate about policy that embraces conservative ideals, ensures freedom and liberty for all Americans, and invites women into vital leadership roles.

Jason Kauppi, CRES Board

Jason Kauppi is a communications strategist specializing in public policy, news media relations and crisis management. Jason is a former spokesman for Republican Governors Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift of Massachusetts.

Ashlee Rich Stephenson, CRES Board

Ashlee Rich Stephenson currently serves as the Vice President and National Political Director of Political Affairs and Federation Relations at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She leads the Chamber’s voter education program, which includes directing the endorsement process on behalf of pro-business candidates for federal office and guiding the Chamber’s independent expenditure effort. Stephenson is a nationally respected and highly experienced political strategist and pollster, with expertise working on high-level candidate campaigns, with independent expenditures, and on behalf of public affairs and corporate interests.