Daniel Whitten Email & Phone Number

Athanor Public Affairs offers strategic communications and public affairs services to companies working in energy, transportation and trade, with a primary focus on the energy transition. We can create and execute campaigns that help you build your brand, engage on multiple platforms with targeted audiences and advocate for your business.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

As head of public affairs for the solar industry’s leading trade association, I provided extensive strategic and crisis communications leadership and built cross-department campaigns that raise awareness and acceptance of solar energy. My advocacy work helped bring billions of dollars in value to the industry. • Oversaw campaign that resulted in passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. Played a leading role in coalition building and engagement, media strategy, member activation and outreach to policymakers.• Helped achieve a two-year delay of tariffs on solar products, which saved the industry billions of dollars and preserved tens of thousands of jobs.• Supervised staff and consultants for an earned and social media operation worth $250 million in ad equivalency value. • Worked to activate environmental groups and others as part of a coalition to speak out on SEIA’s behalf and support congressional advocacy campaigns.• As part of a trade and tariff campaign, we placed editorials in the New York Times, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal among other prominent publications,• Helped establish and served on the steering committee for a 501(c)(4), which invested millions of dollars in advertising and influencer campaigns to end harmful trade policy.• Led a rebranding involving public opinion polling, analytics and a website rebuild. This effort provided consistent brand identity across the organization.• Built a program to increase diversity, inclusion and equity in our organization and throughout our industry. • Worked with CEO on association management, including structure, mission and strategy.• Led earned media campaigns that achieved 22,000 SEIA news mentions in 2022.• Oversaw the largest social media following among energy associations with more than 100,000 Twitter followers.• Appeared in numerous news outlets as a spokesperson, wrote editorials, spoke at conferences and led the communications efforts at our annual convention.

Washington, Dc, Us

As the first senior employee hired at the $80 million organization, established the communications department and served as the main spokesperson for a trade group representing natural gas producers during the “fracking” boom. • Employed marketing and communications tools such as advertising, media outreach and social media to help fulfill ANGA’s mission to increase demand for natural gas. • Supervised $3 million in consultant contracts and helped manage a $25 million advertising campaign, resulting in wide recognition of the benefits of natural gas.• Oversaw crisis communications and response involving public and environmental advocacy group blowback over the safety and climate concerns with natural gas. • Led “murder boards” and media training to prepare CEOs for hearings and interviews.• Placed op-eds and letters to the editor in the Dallas Morning News, Washington Post, New York Times, Politico and New York Daily News.• Set up editorial board visits at the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Denver Post, Dallas Morning News, Baton Rouge Advocate and Houston Chronicle.

Led Bloomberg News energy coverage out of Washington, primarily covered climate change legislation and the efforts of big energy corporations and their CEOs to influence policy.• Broke stories on federal loan guarantees for nuclear plants, climate change policy, federal response to record energy prices in 2008 and the impact of the 2009 economic stimulus on the economy.• Documented government energy policy across all fuels and all relevant government agencies as well as both chambers of Congress.• Covered climate change legislation including Waxman-Markey and other efforts to get climate policy through Congress.• Editors chose my stories 11 times for Bloomberg’s Best of the Week. • Maintained good sources on and off Capitol Hill, including among lawmakers, association presidents, green group leaders, lobbyists and key staffers in Congress and the executive branch.• Interviewed CEOs and other top officials for some of the world’s biggest energy companies.• Coverage also included health care policy, transportation and the Federal Reserve.• Made numerous appearances talking about my reporting on Bloomberg Television.

New York, Ny, Us

Helped establish the full time congressional beat for Platts. Reported on legislative developments evolving during that time including passage of the 2005 Energy Policy Act. Focused on all sources of energy, and the impacts of legislative and regulatory actions on broader U.S. energy policy.

Master'S Degree, Environmental Science And Policy

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), English