Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) kicked off 2022 with two significant personnel announcements. Heather Reams was promoted from Executive Director to President of CRES as well as the organization’s 501c3 sister organization, CRES Forum, and Christine Harbin was tapped to serve as Vice President of External Relations. A public affairs veteran at both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of the United States, Harbin joins CRES from the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) where she was Capitol Hill Program Director.
“Christine is a sharp public affairs expert who will fit seamlessly into our team. Her years of experience in the energy sphere will be invaluable to CRES’ mission,” said Heather Reams, CRES President. “I am delighted to welcome her to our team and look forward to working with her on expanding our relationships from grassroots to grasstops, and with influential policy leaders in DC and around the world.”
Harbin will lead the growing public affairs team to advance policy priorities by cultivating strategic partnerships on and off Capitol Hill.
“As more of the world understands that it’s time to address our climate challenges, I’m thrilled to join the team at CRES because they are leading the charge in advancing constructive conservative solutions,” said Harbin. “Climate change and energy innovation are critical to maintaining our planet’s future and America’s leadership position. CRES is one of the few groups that takes both charges seriously.”
Harbin held stakeholder management responsibilities at key federal government agencies during the previous administration. She served at U.S. Export-Import Bank as acting Senior Vice President for the Office of External Engagement and the Acting Vice President and acting Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives for EXIM’s Program on China and Transformational Exports. Previously, she was Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for External and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Previous to her administration experience, Harbin led the federal policy engagement and coalition efforts of Americans for Prosperity, a nationwide conservative grassroots organization, as Vice President of External Affairs. She also 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.
Harbin 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.
Reams’ promotion from Executive Director to President marks her fifth year leading CRES’s executive and senior leadership teams, as the organization continues to increase its personnel and conservative climate advocacy offerings.
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Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) engages Republican policymakers and the public about responsible, conservative solutions to address our nation’s energy, economic, and environmental security while increasing America’s competitive edge. For more information, visit www.cresenergy.com.