Gina Coplon-Newfield
Coach, Consultant & Project Manager For Leaders And Teams Working To Save The World
38 Gurnet St. Cambridge,MA
Summary
Collaborative leader in climate and social justice with 30 years of demonstrated success. Recognized as a thought leader through extensive media coverage, numerous authored reports, and presentations at high-profile conferences. Experience includes serving as Biden administration political appointee as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Policy. As Managing Director at a climate communications firm and Campaign Director for prominent advocacy organizations such as Sierra Club and Physicians for Human Rights, demonstrated track record in building and empowering teams to achieve strategic results.
Overview
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder & Principal
Canopy Rise Consulting LLC
05.2026 - Current
Leadership coach helping people captaining teams to identify challenges, get unstuck, and chart a robust path ahead. In addition to coaching, offers consulting services focused on: policy advocacy, organizational and campaign effectiveness, staff management, retreat planning, high-level project management, and communications.
Managing Director
Sunstone Strategies
01.2024 - 01.2026
Served on leadership team of climate communications firm. Supervised transportation, industrial decarbonization, and clean power programs. Developed policies and programs related to staff trainings, retreats, and “Summer Fridays.” Executed high-level client deliverables, such as message testing presentations and editing of op-eds. Served as co-lead of DEI committee.
Chief of Staff/Biden Appointee
U.S. Dept of Energy’s Office of Policy
01.2021 - 01.2024
Worked closely with White House, Hill offices, and other agencies to execute mission of Secretary Granholm and President Biden. Wrote the Secretary’s departmental principles. Oversaw effort to share hundreds of domestic clean energy manufacturing announcements at www.energy.gov/invest. Served as reviewer for Dept. of Transportation’s Charging & Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. Oversaw much of DOE’s creation of its supply chain strategy for energy industrial base. Edited Secretary’s speeches, memos, and press releases.
Consultant/Contractor (previous)
Various
2008 - 2021
For Second Nature, served as interim Communications & Outreach Director. For Corporate Accountability International, recruited two key hires. On behalf of ClimateWorks Foundation, convened businesses/NGOs from 20+ countries to sign COP26 EV policy letter.
Director, Clean Transportation for All Campaign; Director, Electric Vehicles Initiative
Sierra Club
01.2010 - 01.2021
Through organizing, policy advocacy, litigation, and communications, achieved ambitious clean transportation policies at state and federal levels on behalf of nation’s largest environmental organization. Oversaw campaign that convinced Uber/Lyft to commit to all electric rides by 2030 and that helped secure billions in EV charging utility investment. Ensured transit agency pledges to electrify bus fleets in L.A., New York, and Miami. With state chapters, achieved public transit commitments, such as Minnesota’s $2B light rail. Provided direction and/or supervision to ~50 staff nationwide. Coordinated efforts to secure state incentives, such as EV consumer rebates in MA, CT, and NY. Represented campaign to donors, allies, policymakers, and reporters.
Health Action AIDS Campaign Director; Coordinator, U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines
Physicians for Human Rights
01.2000 - 01.2007
Mobilized health professionals to secure support for human rights-based AIDS policies; led campaign strategy and multi-million dollar budget; and supervised staff. Leading U.S. anti-landmines campaign, ran coalition representing hundreds of organizations (housed at PHR) advocating for U.S. support of Mine Ban Treaty, mine removal, and victim assistance. Conducted media tour resulting in 15+ op-eds/editorials. Managed staff, lobbied U.S. and foreign officials, and drafted legislation. Worked closely with Nobel Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines, including at UN meetings in Geneva and Bangkok.
Education
Masters - Public Administration, Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
Bachelor of Arts - English/Certificate in Peace & Justice, Magna Cum Laude
Tufts University
Certification - Leadership Performance Coaching
Brown University
01.2027
Fellowship - Year-long in Environmental Campaign Organizing
Green Corps
Facilitation; Supervision; DEI; Nonprofit Mgmt -
Various Trainings
Skills
Coordinated Dept of Energy effort to secure White House authority for using Defense Production Act as clean energy investment tool
Ran campaign that led Ford/other OEMs to reject clean car policy rollbacks during Trump’s first term and that secured commitment by PepsiCo to cut oil/tarsands consumption
Co-founded and helped oversee for many years National Drive Electric Week comprising hundreds of annual EV promotion events
While running US Campaign to Ban Landmines, US government did not sell, use, or produce anti-personnel landmines in post-9/11 combat operations in Iraq/Afghanistan
Directed major elements of 2001 Ban Landmines Week, including legislation, field actions, press conference, activist training, and lobbying of 400 House/Senate offices
Advocated successfully for Massachusetts to pass a lead-safe renovation policy
Took lead role in raising–over time–nearly $15M in philanthropic and individual funding
Timeline
Founder & Principal
Canopy Rise Consulting LLC
05.2026 - Current
Managing Director
Sunstone Strategies
01.2024 - 01.2026
Chief of Staff/Biden Appointee
U.S. Dept of Energy’s Office of Policy
01.2021 - 01.2024
Director, Clean Transportation for All Campaign; Director, Electric Vehicles Initiative
Sierra Club
01.2010 - 01.2021
Health Action AIDS Campaign Director; Coordinator, U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines
Physicians for Human Rights
01.2000 - 01.2007
Bachelor of Arts - English/Certificate in Peace & Justice, Magna Cum Laude
Tufts University
Certification - Leadership Performance Coaching
Brown University
Consultant/Contractor (previous)
Various
2008 - 2021
Masters - Public Administration, Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
Fellowship - Year-long in Environmental Campaign Organizing
Green Corps
Facilitation; Supervision; DEI; Nonprofit Mgmt -
Various Trainings
Select Publications
- Blog: Clean Energy Jobs Jump, Tax Credits Roll Out, and Communities Across the Country Tap Into the Clean Energy Economy, 2024. U.S. Department of Energy.
- Report (contributing editor): U.S. Energy & Employment Report, 2022. U.S. DOE.
- Blog: The Future of Transportation is Personal, 2021. Sierra Club.
- Personal Essay: Memory & Loss Where a House Once Stood, 2021. ManifestStation.
- Op-Ed: VW’s $14.7B settlement can fund America’s switch to EVs, 2017. The Hill.
- Report: Rev Up EVs: Multi-State Study of Electric Vehicle Shopping Experience, 2016 (co-author) and 2019 (contributing editor). Sierra Club.
- Report (co-author): Charging Up: The Role of States, Utilities & the Auto Industry in Dramatically Accelerating EV Adoption, 2015, Sierra Club et al.
- Case Study: A Green Victory Against Great Odds, But Was It Too Little Too Late? 2014. Harvard University Law School.
- OpEd (co-author): Physicians Speak Out for Health & Human Rights at Great Cost, 2004. American Medical Association Journal of Ethics.
Select Media Quotes & Interviews
- What percentage of auto sales in the U.S. are EVs? 2021, Energy Nerd Show podcast.
- When it Comes to Clean Energy, USPS Delivery Trucks Don’t Yet Answer the Mail, 2021, National Public Radio.
- Behind the Quiet Fight Over Electric Vehicles, 2017, New York Times.
- US cars in 2050 could be using 80% less gasoline, 2013. Christian Science Monitor.
- USA Won’t sign landmine treaty, 2004. The Lancet.
- U.S. Cools Toward Land Mine Phase-Out Plan, 2001, LA Times.
Select Conference Presentations
- Leaders Day conference organized by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, panel speaker, 2023.
- Harvard University Reunion, climate policy panel speaker, 2023.
- Energy Foundation conference on transportation electrification and equity, Emcee, 2020.
- Environmental Grantmakers Association conference, panel speaker, 2019.
- UCDavis Biennial Conference at Asilomar on Transportation, panel moderator, 2019.
- Forth EV Roadmap conference, panel speaker, multiple years including 2017 and 2020.
- Tufts University AIDS Symposium, panel speaker, 2006.
Boards & Community Memberships
- Member, Association of Nonprofit Specialists, 2026-present.
- Member, Refugee Support Team, Beth El Temple Center, 2016-present.
- Founding Steering Committee Member, EVGridX, 2016-2021.
- Governor-appointed Commissioner, MA Zero Emission Vehicle Commission, 2015-2021.