Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Bolsters Operations with New Staff Hires

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: [email protected]

JANUARY 7, 2019 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) announced the promotion of Managing Director Heather Reams to Executive Director, as well as the hiring of Brandon Audap as Vice President of Government Relations and Colin Finnegan as Coalitions Manager. Audap will lead CRES’ outreach and strategy on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. Finnegan will manage CRES’ role within existing coalitions, coordinate relationships with allied organizations, and expand state-based advocacy. James Dozier retains his role as President of the Board.

Audap comes from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) where he was the Director of Federal Affairs. Finnegan joins CRES from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute, working in external communications and public affairs.

“For over five years, CRES has been a trusted Republican voice advocating for clean energy solutions that strengthen our economic, national, and environmental security. Heather has and continues to be instrumental in guiding that work and building out an impressive and growing team of Republican professionals. The board of directors is grateful for Heather’s unparalleled commitment to our mission and is honored to have her continued leadership as CRES’ next Executive Director,” said James Dozier, President of the Board.

“The expertise of our growing and talented team of Republican operatives expands our ability to engage with Republican policymakers to advance conservative clean energy solutions in Washington and in state capitals across America,” said CRES Executive Director Heather Reams. “Voters are looking to their elected officials for commonsense solutions, and there are low-risk, high-yield opportunities to enact polices that support the growth of clean energy technologies that strengthen our nation’s energy, economic, and environmental security while increasing America’s competitive edge. To that end, we look forward to working with the 116th Congress and newly elected governors across America.”

“I am excited to advocate for a broader portfolio of clean energy technologies, especially at a time when the industry is rapidly expanding. There are opportunities in every congressional district to advance clean energy, so I look forward to working with the 116th Congress and the Administration to further these opportunities which will also further CRES’ important mission,” said Brandon Audap, CRES Vice President of Government Relations.

“I am honored to join CRES at a critical time when Republican policymakers need to hear from diverse coalitions that they can be pro-business and pro-clean energy, thereby supporting strong economic growth, an expanding job market, and increased competition among energy sources,” said Colin Finnegan, CRES Coalitions Manager.

Heather Reams, Executive Director

Reams leads the talented CRES team and oversees core activities of the organization, ensuring the successful expansion of conservative clean energy policies. Reams joined CRES in 2016 as Managing Director where she was instrumental in increasing the organization’s impact through team growth and new initiatives such as National Clean Energy Week, which she serves as its chair. She is a 25-year veteran in strategic communications, public affairs, and advocacy and has held a number of senior non-profit positions including vice president of communications and marketing at a national advocacy organization, chief communications officer for a $700 million private foundation, and associate director at a national trade association. Prior to her non-profit work, Reams spent a decade working for DC-based public affairs firms and started her career as a staffer working for Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) and Congressman Gerald Weller (R-IL11). A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science, Reams is active in Republican local and state affairs in her home state of Virginia.

Brandon Audap, Vice President of Government Relations

Audap comes to the CRES team with 15 years of experience working on both sides of the aisle to advance renewable energy and energy efficiency policy, most recently serving as Director of Federal Affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). He has also directed political research projects in support of preserving the American Dream while promoting lower taxes for all Americans, advocated on behalf of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and the family business community, and served on the tax and energy policy teams in the government affairs practice at an international law firm. Earlier, Audap started on Capitol Hill working on the majority tax staff at the House Committee on Ways and Means for then-Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA). He holds an M.P.A. from The George Washington University and a B.A. in Public Administration from California State University, Bakersfield.

Colin Finnegan, Coalitions Manager

Finnegan joins CRES, previously serving as Associate Communications and Outreach Manager at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute where he supported the Institute’s external communications as well as the development and implementation of public affairs strategies. He began his career in the strategic communications industry at DCI Group in Washington D.C., where he began specializing in energy policy. Finnegan graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in International Studies and is originally from Massachusetts.

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Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization founded in 2013 to engage Republican policymakers and the public about commonsense, conservative solutions to address our nation’s need for abundant, reliable energy while preserving our environment.

 

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