The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has announced three senior hires who will expand the association’s advocacy muscle in federal affairs, public affairs and policy.
Bree Raum will serve as AWEA’s new vice president of federal affairs starting on May 29, and Diane Miller will join as AWEA’s vice president of public affairs on June 4. Sari Fink came on board as senior director of electricity and transmission policy earlier this month.
Together, Fink, Miller and Raum lend roughly 50 years of experience in the energy sector to the association’s advocacy and policy efforts, says AWEA.
Raum was previously the senior director of federal affairs for the American Gas Association, where she led activities to shape legislative policies and developed, implemented and managed federal affairs strategies to advance national energy policies and initiatives. This will be Raum’s second stint with AWEA, having previously served as the director of grassroots advocacy and WindPAC, directing the association’s political giving and shaping the industry’s national grassroots lobbying program. Earlier in her career, she worked on regulatory and legislative issues at the National Propane Gas Association.
Miller, who will be responsible for AWEA’s external communications and grassroots advocacy, has experience in senior leadership roles at DDC Public Affairs and DCI Group, where she developed and executed public affairs strategies in nearly every state for major energy and infrastructure business clients.
Fink is leading efforts to advocate for market and regulatory improvements that fully value wind energy and help get vital transmission infrastructure built. Most recently, she was the subject-matter expert on electricity policy at the American Petroleum Institute, where she had primary responsibility for wholesale electricity market designs and state policy outreach.
The trio joins AWEA’s government and public affairs team, led by Amy Farrell, senior vice president of government/public affairs.
“Bree and Diane are known for their ability to build coalitions, strengthen advocacy and deliver results, and Sari is a respected, solutions-oriented electricity markets expert,” says Farrell. “I’m excited to add such talent to the AWEA team as we continue to up our game and refocus our efforts on a suite of opportunities to grow American wind power.”
