Ben Finzel

Ben Finzel is president of RENEWPR, a communications consulting firm that provides senior-level advice, counsel and outreach on strategy, messaging, media and partnerships to alliance, association, coalition, corporation, foundation and non-governmental clients tackling energy and environmental issues and opportunities. An experienced Washington public affairs communicator and DC native, Ben has served as a congressional staffer, presidential appointee and public relations agency executive. His career has focused on energy and environment communications and policy, and he has been involved in many of the most significant related issues of the past two and a half decades. In senior positions at five communications firms (global, national and boutique), Ben counseled Fortune 500 companies and major businesses, U.S. government agencies, industry trade associations and non-governmental organizations on public affairs and consumer education campaigns, media outreach and partnership development programs and stakeholder relations strategy and outreach. As a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the Clinton Administration, Ben managed the communications operation for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and supported communications activities conducted by Secretary Bill Richardson and Assistant Secretary Dan Reicher. In legislative and communications staff positions for two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives (North Carolina’s Tim Valentine and New Mexico’s Bill Richardson), Ben provided advice and counsel on legislative issues ranging from clean air policy and Superfund clean-up to energy, environmental and science policy and operation of the DOE’s national laboratories. Ben is a cum laude graduate of Texas Tech University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history. He is a former college radio news director, and is conversant in German. Ben is a member of the Counselors Academy of the Public Relations Society of America, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Victory Campaign Board of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Board of Directors of OutServe-SLDN. Ben has guest-lectured on public relations and communications for undergraduate and graduate courses at the American University School of Communication, George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs and the Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies.