MEET THE CLIMATE NEXUS TEAM
LEADERSHIP | CLIMATE SIGNALS | DIGITAL | ENERGY TRANSITION
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION | MEDIA | NEXUS MEDIA NEWS
PROGRAMS | CAMPAIGNS & STRATEGIES
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Jeff Nesbit is the executive director of Climate Nexus, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors that works with science, technology, public health, energy and environmental organizations on climate and clean energy issues and solutions. Nesbit was the director of legislative and public affairs at the National Science Foundation from June 2006 to June 2011. Previously, he managed his own strategic communications consulting firm in Washington; served as a senior communications official at the Food and Drug Administration and White House during the administration of President George H.W. Bush; and was a national journalist with Knight-Ridder and others. He’s the author of POISON TEA and 25 other books.
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Bob Tanner brings to his role as Managing Director a career that spans investigative reporting and congressional policy-making, from hearing rooms on the Hill to the Katrina-flooded streets of New Orleans. Now he fuses strategy and tactical execution, with oversight of all operations including editorial content, digital and social strategy, messaging, partnerships and finances.
Previously, Bob served as senior investigator for the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during the climate change debates of 2009-2010 and the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Earlier, as a national editor and reporter for the Associated Press, he helped launch the National Investigative, National Reporting, and Disaster Response teams. In his 20-year journalism career, he reported for news wires, local newspapers and public television in Maryland, New York, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C.
Bob is a recovering surfer with a persistent rock-climbing habit, and enjoys being back in NYC with his wife, and two children and Fang, a very small dog who is sure she’s a big dog.
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Stephanie Hanson Damassa is the Washington Director and Director of Policy Communications for Climate Nexus, where she develops communications strategies to align with political developments at the federal, state and local level. Based in Washington, DC, she works with Climate Nexus’ partners to strengthen their climate and energy messaging and amplify their efforts.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Stephanie worked for the World Resources Institute from 2006-2011, most recently as the communications manager for WRI’s climate and energy program. In this role, she promoted the program’s U.S. climate efforts through media relations, social media, and congressional outreach. She also served as WRI’s communications lead for the UN climate meetings in 2008 and 2009. At WRI she also served as a managing editor for WRI’s flagship publication, The World Resources Report 2008, and as a communications coordinator.
Prior to joining WRI, she managed an urban environmental program at a community action agency in Lowell, Massachusetts. Stephanie holds a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In her free time, she enjoys baking, traveling and biking around Washington, DC.
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Rachel Potter is a seasoned sustainability practitioner with extensive experience in financial services, consulting and the nonprofit sectors. As Director of Operations, Rachel is responsible for project delivery, operations management, oversight of team engagement and professional development.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Rachel held a range of positions in the sustainability space, including for Accenture and Standard Chartered Bank. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy, Planning and Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a master’s degree in History from the University of St. Andrews.
Rachel’s favorite thing to do when not at work is travel the world, so most of her spare time is spent traveling or travel planning.
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Hunter Cutting is a veteran political director who develops communications strategy for Climate Nexus. Early in his career, he served as a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives and traveled the campaign trail, directing numerous political campaigns and working in swing districts such as Peoria, IL and Riverside, CA. He has written extensively on media and communications, most recently authoring Connecting the Dots: A Communications Guide to Climate Change and Extreme Weather. As a researcher, he has helped to extend the field of practice, developing new methodologies for media analysis.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Hunter built the energy and climate division of Resource Media, helped to launch and lead We Interrupt This Message, a national media strategy center dedicated to social justice, and led NGO communications in milestone climate change events such as the UNFCCC meeting in Bali and the release of the Nobel-prize winning IPCC Fourth Assessment Report.
It all started when Hunter earned a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. He now lives in San Francisco with his wife and two teenage boys. On weekends he is likely to be found sailing on the San Francisco Bay, racing an Olson 25.
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Rose Andreatta manages climate science research and messaging at Climate Nexus. This includes overseeing content production for Climate Signals and organizing media outreach around key events. Before joining Climate Nexus, Rose was a Communications and Research Generalist for the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
Rose has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A. in Sustainable Development and Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies from Columbia College.
Outside the office, Rose is probably taking a MOOC, walking her pitbull or kayaking on the Hudson.
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Markeya Thomas is a media manager at Climate Nexus. She works on the Climate Signals project, a science tool that identifies and illustrates what climate change looks like on the ground, in your region, state, or neighborhood. She identifies, pursues and provides resources for the media, partners, and stakeholders.
Before coming to Climate Nexus, she was a public information officer at the Missouri Botanical Garden overseeing botany and energy communications. She began her communications career as a TV news reporter for the ABC affiliates in Killeen, TX and Gainesville, FL, where she quickly worked her way up to the anchor desk. As an anchor and reporter, she used social media to break stories and connect with viewers.
She graduated from Georgia State University, and returns to Atlanta often. Markeya can be found trying new restaurants, cooking, and exploring the city in her spare time.
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Celia Gurney Celia Gurney is an associate on the Climate Signals and Digital teams.
Celia converted to environmentalism at age eight, when her third grade class did a unit on tropical rainforests. She has since helped develop a green laboratory certification program; volunteered on the waste reduction committee at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival; and conducted independent research in the Amazon, a real live tropical rainforest you may have heard of.
Between completing her BA in Environmental Studies at the University of Washington and joining Climate Nexus, Celia worked in Paris as an au pair. In her spare time she enjoys speaking French with French people she finds around town. She also takes improv and sketch classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
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As Digital Director, Aimee Sison works to further the climate change and clean energy narrative across digital and social media platforms. She also works with partners to amplify messages in new, creative ways to online audiences.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus in 2014, Aimee worked at public relations agency Sunshine Sachs to develop and execute digital marketing strategies for a variety of non-profit, entertainment and corporate clients. Previously, she worked in the San Francisco office of Weber Shandwick as part of the Global Cleantech Practice. There, she assisted in developing messaging and media materials for cleantech companies. In 2009, she served as a White House intern for the Obama Administration.
Aimee holds a degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Originally from the Philippines, Aimee’s passion for climate change is fueled by seeing her homeland suffer the negative impacts of global warming.
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Mina Lee is a senior associate at Climate Nexus, primarily working as a creative content designer on the Digital team.
Prior to joining Nexus, Mina worked at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, where she focused on building energy efficiency and helped publish the NYC Carbon Challenge Handbook. Mina was also a graduate student consultant for the World Resources Institute, where she analyzed key issues and made policy recommendations relating to forest conservation and restoration practices.
Mina holds an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a BFA in Studio Art from NYU. She is determined to bring her two passions of art and the environment together.
Outside of the office, Mina can be found indulging her Instagram at the next big NYC restaurant.
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Steve Hargreaves is director of the Energy Transition desk, which demonstrates the feasibility of shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy through data, storytelling and building partnerships.
Prior to Climate Nexus he spent 11 years as a writer for CNNMoney, first as an energy reporter and later on the economy desk and special projects team. He covered stories including concerns over peak oil and record oil prices, the boom in U.S. shale production, and the BP oil spill. In 2011 he won a Society of American Business Editors and Writers award for a series on the military’s efforts to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. He also spearheaded the site’s coverage of urban innovation, including revitalization efforts in Detroit and a multi-month project on innovative cities.
Before joining CNNMoney he spent two years writing from Bangkok and Istanbul. He started his career as a beat reporter at a small daily newspaper in Brunswick, Maine.
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Courtney St. John is a policy and communications professional with significant experience working on climate and energy issues. As the co-director of the Energy Transition team at Climate Nexus, she works with various sectors and the media to tell the story of the transition to a clean energy economy.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Courtney oversaw outreach for the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia University. Courtney also worked as the Climate Change Affairs Officer for the United States Navy’s Task Force Climate Change where she oversaw execution of the Navy’s Climate Change Roadmap. She was a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy.
Courtney has authored publications on various climate change topics and holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning with a concentration in environmental policy and a certificate in Risk Communication. In 2015, Courtney was honored as a Climate “sHero,” one of nineteen women working to advance climate action in New York City.
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As a manager on the Energy Transition team, Chelsea Eakin works with partners and the media to tell the story of the transition to a clean energy economy.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Chelsea was engaged in climate and clean energy issues in China from 2010-2017, most recently as the Public Affairs Manager for the Paulson Institute, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s nonprofit dedicated to US-China relations as they pertain to the economy and the environment. In that role, Chelsea managed communications for the Institute’s research and events highlighting best practices and market-based solutions to advance China’s transition to a sustainable economy. She also oversaw the Institute’s Paulson Prize for Sustainable Cities, awarded annually to an innovative China-based project that represents a best practice for sustainable urbanization.
Before joining the Paulson Institute, Chelsea managed client services, communications, and events for China Greentech, a strategic advisory group that promoted green technology solutions in China through market research and partnering opportunities.
Chelsea holds a B.A. in Global Studies and Anthropology from Colby College in Maine. She has lived in Shenzhen and Beijing, as well as Quito, Ecuador and speaks Chinese and Spanish.
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As an associate on the Energy Transition Desk at Climate Nexus, Marcela Miceli works across the team’s issue areas to advance the narrative on clean energy solutions and climate change. Marcela uses her expertise in clean energy issues to engage with key partners and the media on crafting compelling stories on the clean energy transition.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Marcela was a communications associate at the Risky Business Project, where she worked with high-level spokespeople on creating the business case for the transition to a low-carbon economy. She holds an M.S. in Global Affairs with a focus on Energy and Environmental Policy.
On her time off Marcela can be found exploring the city’s many culinary delights and planning her next travel escape from the Big Apple.
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Caterina Bartha is non-profit finance practitioner with a long history of working in theater and dance. In her role, Caterina oversees the finance process and directs the ongoing financial policies and priorities of Climate Nexus.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Caterina worked at the Dramatists Guild, with the who’s who of American Theater. She started life as a choreographer and was a founder of Collective: Unconscious, a downtown NYC venue that supported emerging artists, from 1995-2008. She is one of the producers of the film Charlie Victor Romeo and has produced numerous film festivals, dance, and theater programs since 1995. She holds an MBA in Media Management from Metropolitan College and an MS in Accounting from St. John’s University. She serves as the Treasurer for The Lilly Awards Foundation. Caterina is thrilled to support the most pressing issue of our generation at Climate Nexus.
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Bartees Cox is the Co-Director of Communications for Climate Nexus and a seasoned communicator with a heart for social justice and years of experience translating complex policy goals into long-term successful communications campaigns.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Bartees worked at BerlinRosen as a Senior Associate on the national labor team. In this role, he designed communications campaigns and messaging for some of the largest strikes for higher wages in the history of the United States. Bartees also held positions at the Federal Communications Commission as the Deputy Press Secretary, where he developed messaging on issues like net neutrality and cell phone unlocking.
Bartees is from Yukon, Oklahoma and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism. He spends a large part of his spare time producing music for various artists, playing in bands and working on his perpetually delayed solo album(s).
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Emma Stieglitz is a skilled communicator with years of experience securing high-value media placements for progressive campaigns and causes. As one of two media directors, she works with journalists to showcase the diverse range of voices and stories that drive home how climate change impacts our lives.
Before joining Climate Nexus, Emma was a communications consultant at BerlinRosen, where she led and executed national and local media strategy for a range of labor and nonprofit clients. Her writing has appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and The Guardian.
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Molly Taft is the Senior Editor at Climate Nexus. She brings a wealth of communications experience helping journalists, nonprofits, and campaigns elevate social justice issues to the forefront of the national conversation. Molly writes the daily Hot News newsletter.
Before coming to Climate Nexus, Molly was a communications consultant at BerlinRosen, where she executed strategy for a wide range of energy and environment clients and ensured that their experts and issues were consistently featured in top-tier print and broadcast media. Molly also worked as a researcher at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, helping independent journalists research in-depth investigations into human trafficking and wrongful convictions and publicizing Institute successes and events.
Molly graduated from Bowdoin College, and still goes back to Maine every chance she gets. Outside of the office she can be found rowing, running, or searching for the best ice cream in the city.
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As Senior Manager of Climate Innovation, Ben Rubin develops campaign strategies to strengthen and accelerate emerging opportunities that combat climate change. Ben’s R&D portfolio is rooted in his experience working on climate solutions for governments, businesses, and nonprofits and ranges from public engagement to media relations.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Ben spearheaded public affairs campaigns to advance renewable energy development as a principal at Kivvit. Ben also served in California Governor Jerry Brown’s Office of Planning and Research, focusing on long-range planning policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He studied urban planning and anthropology at Pitzer College.
Ben has lived, studied, or traveled to 45 U.S. states and five continents. Currently based in Brooklyn, he can often be found exploring New York City’s urban jungle or kayaking along its shores.
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Shravya Jain is a Media Associate at Climate Nexus, where she works on communication strategies around climate change solutions, climate & environmental justice, and regional climate policies.
She holds an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Shravya has interned with the United Nations for their in-house sustainability initiatives and with the Heron Foundation on their impact-investment mission to help communities raise themselves out of poverty.
Before coming to the US, Shravya worked as a journalist in India with Reuters and India Today. She also briefly worked with SELCO Solar, a pioneering off-grid solar company, where she got a chance to visit villages in South India and see the transformational power of solar energy.
Shravya loves writing short-fiction and constantly day-dreams about being a published author in her spare time.
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Josh Landis heads up Nexus Media News and the Content Studio here at Climate Nexus. He is a former network news correspondent and producer who’s reported from the South Pole, New Zealand, the Middle East and places across America.
Prior to becoming a reporter at CBS News, Josh was an award-winning head writer for ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson. Josh has written and produced for Peter Jennings, Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos, Bob Woodruff, Lou Dobbs, Shepard Smith and others. He’s also the co-creator of an Emmy-nominated animated news series called The Fast Draw.
Josh spent nearly a year living in Antarctica and knows how to pitch a tent at the South Pole, should the need ever arise.
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Jeremy Deaton writes about climate and energy for Nexus Media. His work can be seen in Popular Science, Fusion, Huffington Post, Business Insider, ThinkProgress and Grist, among other outlets. In his spare time, he manages theclimatechat.org, an online guide to the science of climate change communication.
Before joining Climate Nexus, Jeremy earned his living as a musician, touring nationally and internationally with the Broadway shows Blast, South Pacific and Shrek: The Musical, as well as the Glenn Miller Orchestra. His trumpet has taken him to more than 70 countries and 45 U.S. states.
Jeremy holds a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Media and Public Affairs from George Washington University, where he was the recipient of the Larry King Endowment Fellowship.
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Owen Agnew is a video producer for Nexus Media. His video work can be seen on Fusion, Grist and Popular Science.
Before coming to Climate Nexus, Owen worked as a radio and podcast producer, most recently for WNYC’s The New Yorker Radio Hour and The Guardian US, where he helped pilot and launch new podcasts. Prior to that, he worked for several years at Curtis Fox Productions, producing podcasts for The New Yorker, The Poetry Foundation and Design Observer.
Owen holds an MA in health and science reporting from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He has a soft spot for stories about urban ecology and animals, be it bull fighting rodeos in New Jersey or coyotes in the Bronx.
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Tan Copsey is Director, Special Projects at Climate Nexus.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus he served as Director of the Risky Business Project, which focused on quantifying risks and opportunities presented by a changing climate. The Project was co-chaired by Michael Bloomberg, Hank Paulson, and Tom Steyer.
He has also worked as Head of Communications for the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate and Research Manager for BBC Media Action; as well as roles with chinadialogue, openDemocracy and the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
He has authored, co-authored and edited reports including Better Growth, Better Climate: The New Climate Economy Report, From Risk to Return: Investing in a Clean Energy Economy, and reports on communicating climate change in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, for BBC Media Action.
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Allison Fajans-Turner leads Nexus’ work with state and city government stakeholders. Instrumental in helping to launch, design, and manage the We Are Still In initiative, Allison is Nexus’ primary liaison to the coalition and advises on its communications strategy. She also engages with developments in international climate policy, working at the intersection of climate change and sustainable development for Nexus.
Before joining Climate Nexus, Allison worked with the Disaster and Climate Adaptation Team of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Geneva, Switzerland, assessing climate drivers of displacement and conflict. This work convinced her that meaningfully reducing displacement risk for populations worldwide requires urgent action to combat climate change. Prior to this, Allison worked on the Obama presidential campaigns as a field organizer in multiple locations, helping to turn Indiana blue in 2008. She has remained an enthusiastic policy wonk ever since.
Allison has an MA in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a BA in International Development from Brown University. A native of Ithaca, New York, her earliest motivation to stave off climate change is rooted in a childhood spent playing winter sports, namely ice hockey and skiing.
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As our Senior Creative Media Manager, Phil Newell is involved at various stages with much of our work, from brainstorming ideas to drafting and editing final products. Phil also leads on our rapid response and denier monitoring work.
Before working at Climate Nexus, Phil was an intern at the World Watch Institute, where he blogged on sustainable agriculture. Prior to that, he worked with EARTHWORKS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mineral and energy development while seeking sustainable solutions.
Phil has an MA in Global Environmental Policy from American University, and a BA in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University.
When not at work, Phil enjoys sampling the wide variety of food and drink available in NYC and lazing around the house watching cartoons or awful movies.
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Bridgette Burkholder is the Manger, Special Projects at Climate Nexus. She leads Climate Nexus’ work to coordinate with a global network of partners on international issues. She works to develop crosscutting narratives and campaigns, writes and edit content, and leverages partner organizations to amplify messages to online audiences.
Bridgette holds an MS in Energy & Environmental Policy from NYU’s Center for Global Affairs and a BA in Environmental Studies and International Relations from the University of Washington in Seattle, where she was born and raised. She focused her thesis work at NYU on sustainable development and renewable energy in Latin America.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Bridgette worked as the Energy Coordinator at NYU’s Office of Sustainability, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption in university buildings around New York City.
Outside of work, Bridgette enjoys travel, the great outdoors, and good coffee (and combining all three whenever possible).
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Paige Knappenberger is our Climate Voices Program Manager. She leads our work with climate change partner organizations working on climate change from the perspective of public health, faith, national security, environmental justice, youth and parents. Working out of the Climate Nexus office in Washington, D.C. Paige provides these partners strategic media guidance and support to amplify the work they are doing to reach and engage distinct groups on climate change and clean energy.
Prior to joining the Climate Nexus team, Paige worked for the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility and interned at Oceana and NRDC. Paige completed a dual-masters in sustainable development and global environmental policy through American University in Washington, DC and the University for Peace in Costa Rica.
Paige grew up in Arizona and California and frequently endures the cross-country flight to visit her family out west. In her free time Paige enjoys scuba diving, crafting, and live music.
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Lauren Wolahan manages the food program at Climate Nexus, focusing on ways to incorporate diet, food systems, and agriculture into the climate change conversation.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Lauren worked with the Agriculture and Food Security Center on soil nutrient data and with the Reducetarian Foundation on communications strategy. She has also volunteered with various non-profits including No Kid Hungry and Randall’s Island Park Alliance to increase access to healthy food, nutrition, and environmental education.
Lauren holds an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in History from Boston College.
Outside the office, Lauren enjoys hiking, swing dancing, watching the latest Netflix series, and cooking soup and risotto.
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Phyllis Cuttino oversees efforts to identify and respond to early and emerging climate and clean energy communications and policy trends.
Previously, she directed sustainability initiatives for The Pew Charitable Trusts including the Clean Energy Program, the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate, the Clean Energy Business Network and the Flood-Prepared Communities Initiative. Under Phyllis, Pew’s program worked to accelerate the clean energy economy in order to seize its economic, national security and environmental benefits by advocating for national energy and climate policies that enhanced industrial energy efficiency, expanded energy research and development, deployed advanced transportation and renewable technologies, and reduced the impact of weather-related catastrophes, such as floods and hurricanes, on the U.S. economy, infrastructure, communities and the environment. She joined the Pew Charitable Trusts in 2007 as project director for the Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency, which played a critical role in passage of the first increase in federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks in more than 30 years.
Phyllis has a background in policy, strategic communications and campaigns. In the policy arena, she worked on the senior staffs of two United States senators. In philanthropy, she served as vice president of public affairs for Ted Turner’s $1 billion gift to U.N. causes. As a senior vice president at a consulting firm in Washington, Phyllis helped Fortune 500 companies and nongovernmental organizations to influence public policy and increase awareness of critical issues. She has directed issue advocacy campaigns and served in various roles for political campaigns.
Phyllis holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Furman University.
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Noreen Nielsen develops forward looking communication strategies and partnerships to protect and promote progress on climate change and clean energy solutions.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Noreen worked for the White House Council on Environmental Quality as the Associate Director for Communications. In this role, she oversaw the strategic communications, messaging, press and digital outreach for the Obama Administration’s climate and conservation efforts.
Prior to joining the Obama Administration, she was the Vice President of Communications and Advocacy for the Center for American Progress Action Fund where she worked closely with various policy teams, coalition partners and Hill allies to develop strategic communication and rapid response programs for women’s issues, climate change and voting rights. Noreen also served as the Director of the Energy War Room at CAP where she developed communication strategies to defend climate and clean energy programs at the local, state and federal level. This stint including working on the communications team at the Clean Energy Works Campaign.
Noreen has also served in several senior communication positions for a variety of political organizations, including at Change to Win, the Campaign for America’s Future, Democracy for America, and the New Hampshire America Coming Together campaign. She holds a degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Reece Rushing is director of research. In 2015 and 2016, he served as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s acting deputy assistant secretary for congressional relations and director of oversight. Previously, Reece served as director of oversight and investigations for the House Natural Resources Committee Democrats, and as director of government reform, among other roles, during a seven-year tenure at the Center for American Progress. Reece began his career working on regulatory and information policy issues at OMB Watch (later called the Center for Effective Government). He received his degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
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James Wyatt oversees survey research and polling for Climate Nexus. This includes integrating the latest survey science methodologies and advanced machine learning techniques to accurately measure public opinion on a wide range of issues.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, James served as the Senior Polling Director at Morning Consult where he managed polling for a variety of Fortune 500 companies and industry trade groups. His polling research has been cited by top media organizations such as POLITICO, The New York Times, Vox, Bloomberg, and FiveThirtyEight (among others). Prior to that, James served as the Data Scientist for Working America, AFL-CIO, where he managed data analytics and voter target for the largest paid canvassing operation of the 2014 political cycle. James also has experience working as a political consultant, and served as a lobbyist for municipalities in South Florida focusing on energy issues and appropriations.
James has co-authored book chapters on minority voting in the United States and holds two master’s degrees with specialization in research methods.
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Geoff Bromaghim is a policy analyst and researcher. Geoff has about ten years of energy, environmental and clean tech experience, and brings deep expertise in electric power and natural gas markets.
Prior to Climate Nexus, Geoff has held positions at GE Power, the American Clean Skies Foundation, and Technology Transition Corporation. He has worked on a wide variety of clean energy issues both in the electric power and transportation sectors, and has authored many white papers and other reports.
Geoff earned a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and received his undergraduate degree from St. Norbert College.
Geoff is based in Climate Nexus’ Washington, DC office.
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Ashita Gona is a Communications Associate for the Campaigns and Strategies team at Climate Nexus, where she finds opportunities to promote clean energy, climate and business solutions among allies and in the media.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Ashita was the assistant editor of the Coastal Review Online, a North Carolina-based digital news outlet. There, she reported on pressing coastal environmental issues, including the potential effects of sea-level rise and climate change on the state’s coast.
She also worked as a freelance writer, and was a contributor for Al Gore’s latest book on climate change, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.
Ashita graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016 with a degree in Media and Journalism. During her time there, interned at the White House Council on Enviromental Quality and a nonprofit communications agency. She also indulged her love of science by writing feature stories for UNC’s official research magazine, Endeavors.
A native of North Carolina, Ashita enjoys hiking in mountains, visiting the beach, and cheering for UNC’s basketball team.
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Nathan Kauffman learns for a living. As a research associate at Climate Nexus. He monitors the fossil fuel industry, its front groups, and utilities that try to hamper the fight against climate change.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Nathan worked for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network as a lobbyist/project manager/carpenter. He holds BA in History & Social Science from Eastern Mennonite University and a JD from the George Washington University law school.
When he’s not preventing the global climate cataclysm, Nathan enjoys cycling, baking, and listening to podcasts while walking his 3-year-old Carolina Dog Lucy.
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Shruti Kuppa is a research associate at Climate Nexus where she examines emerging topic areas within the climate and energy science spaces. She brings experience in advancing environmental solutions across various audiences, including different industry sectors and departments of government.
She holds a BS in Policy & Management and a BS in Environmental Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and is currently pursuing an MS in Energy Policy & Climate from Johns Hopkins University.
Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Shruti worked at a consulting firm supporting critical infrastructure security and resilience at the Office of Infrastructure Protection within the Department of Homeland Security. As a student, she held volunteer positions on political campaigns and immediately after graduating undergrad took her passion for grassroots political organizing to Rhode Island and Kentucky.
Shruti grew up in Northern Virginia and during her time off can be found fleeing the city to enjoy one of the many amazing wineries in the DC area.