FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 21, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C — The Institute for Energy Research (IER) announced today the addition of three new team members in the Washington DC-based office:
Benjamin Cole joins the IER staff from Capitol Hill, where he served as a policy adviser and investigative analyst for the Republican staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform under Chairman Darrell Issa. Before coming to Washington in 2008, Cole spent 13 years as an evangelical clergyman in the Southern Baptist Convention. In this capacity, Cole was nationally recognized for his strategic political and media skills.
As IER’s new director of communications, Cole will guide IER’s media engagement and promote free market-based solutions to meet the challenges of today’s global energy and environmental challenges.
Genevieve Thornton joins IER from the private sector, where she worked in marketing and business development for Stern and Stern Industries, a domestic textile manufacturer. Prior to that, Thornton worked in programming and marketing at CNBC, Comedy Central, and NBC.
As IER’s new director of marketing, Thornton will implement the strategic outreach plan to keep supporters, lawmakers, stakeholders and IER partners apprised of the organization’s research and policy advocacy. Additionally, she will build new partnerships with other organizations and supporters who share IER’s free market-based approach.
Cash Colburn joins IER as the new director of administration, where she will manage the daily office operations and assist the organization’s president with his duties. Colburn is a graduate of the University of House (B.S., Administration).
