How will we take care of the nation's mental health?

How will we take care of the nation's mental health?

Behavioral Health is top-of-mind for many people today. I currently lead a collaborative of community mental health providers in Wayne County, Michigan, and another group of Substance Use Disorder Providers also in Wayne County. I prepared this memo for them outlining the mental health and SUD priorities for the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) and for President-Elect Biden, hoping we can be a part of the conversation. The information was found on the President-elect’s transition website and from conversations with people at the MDHHS.

Why vehicle-to-grid technology is becoming critical to utilities and local governments climate and cost-saving strategy

Why vehicle-to-grid technology is becoming critical to utilities and local governments climate and cost-saving strategy

For the governments and utilities to be meet their goals of transitioning to renewable energy and electric vehicles, massive battery storage is needed to scale. They can do that through the use of vehicle-to-grid equipped electric vehicles and the V2G system to help transfer the power from the vehicle to the building.

Roanoke Electric Cooperative To Pilot Cutting-Edge Vechicle-to-Grid Technology

Roanoke Electric Cooperative To Pilot Cutting-Edge Vechicle-to-Grid Technology

Roanoke Electric Cooperative is the first utility to test the viability of vehicle-to-grid technology as a means to unlock additional value streams for the Cooperative’s member-owners while making the option to go electric more affordable while helping the utility use its grid more efficiently.

Bigelow Tea’s new venture into vehicle-to-grid technology will reduce building costs and its carbon footprint

Bigelow Tea’s new venture into vehicle-to-grid technology will reduce building costs and its carbon footprint

For 75 years Bigelow Tea has focused on doing the right thing for the right reasons. As a Certified B Corporation, Bigelow Tea has reduced the emissions associated with transporting their products by finding more efficient shipping routes. To reduce its carbon footprint and create a more resilient energy grid, the specialty tea market leader announced this morning, an initiative with FermataEnergy, that will use the power from an electric vehicle (a Nissan Leaf) to supply electricity to their Louisville, KY plant during times of peak energy use. (Link to NewsRelease).

Sustainability Leadership - The Swedish Way

Sustainability Leadership - The Swedish Way

Companies are facing a number of crises, a global pandemic, a recession, systemic racism, and the climate crisis. For business leaders today facing a global challenges and the impacts of climate change, Sustainability Leadership: A Swedish Approach to changing Your Company, Your Industry, and the World (Palgrave), by Henrick Henriksson, CEO of Scania and Elaine-Weidman Grunewald, co-founder of the AI Sustainability Center and former Chief Sustainability Officer at Ericcson is a must read.

Business Leaders Seeking to Step Up their Sustainability Leadership Now Have a Roadmap

	 Business Leaders Seeking to Step Up their Sustainability Leadership Now Have a Roadmap

In a post-pandemic economy, business leaders should use their platform to not only transform their company but to improve the world. A book written for senior executives by business leaders, with insight and experience from a dozen CEOs of Swedish companies, Sustainability Leadership, written by Henrik Henriksson, Scania President & CEO, and global sustainability executive Elaine Weidman Grunewald, is the guidebook every CEO needs to make the leap and begin their sustainability transformation.

New Study Proves Vehicle-to-Grid Technology Is Now A Realistic And Important Solution For EV Owners

New Study Proves Vehicle-to-Grid Technology Is Now A Realistic And Important Solution For EV Owners

Fermata Energy’s bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) charging system can save thousands off annual utility bills while helping to stabilize the power grid.

Removing Barriers to Employment for People With Disabilities

Removing Barriers to Employment for People With Disabilities

October is U.S. National Disability Employment Awareness Month and while many people struggle to find a job, it is even more difficult if you have a disability. Read the story of 9 people who received the training and found a job, even in the midst of a pandemic.

Virtual Peaker Partners with Fermata Energy to Bring V2G Bidirectional Charging Technology to Utilities

Virtual Peaker Partners with Fermata Energy to Bring V2G Bidirectional Charging Technology to Utilities

As the electric vehicle market continues to grow with new technology emerging, I wanted to introduce myself and my work with Fermata Energy. I wanted to share with you, news about a new joint venture between Fermata Energy and Virtual Peaker. We are making it easier for utilities and their customers to combat climate change, manage two-way electric vehicle access to the grid, maximize the use of renewable energy sources, and reduce operating costs.

How can we find you a seat at the table and start the conversation?

How can we find you a seat at the table and start the conversation?

Through advocacy, collaboration, and strategic relationships I have built a career around bringing people together to start the conversation and solve problems, by finding you a seat at the table and sharing your story. Join me for a conversation on PR Weekly With Sari Cicurel.

What's your plan to return to work and how will you communicate it?

What's your plan to return to work and how will you communicate it?

In a crisis, it is important that you let people know what you don’t know. Over these past few weeks, we have all learned all vulnerable we are and it is important for us, especially as leaders to let others know that we are all vulnerable. Accepting that, however, it is important to incorporate those vulnerabilities and what you do know into a strategic communications plan. What is your plan to get your team back to work?

The new normal & the return to work: A guide to get to back to work through strategic communications

The new normal & the return to work: A guide to get to back to work through strategic communications

The new normal will look nothing like the old normal, at least and until there is a vaccine and COVID-19 is eradicated. Until then, companies must redefine what normal is. The goal of this article is to give you a blueprint to help your team return to work, leveraging strategic communications.

The Next Health Care Crisis: Michigan’s Safety net at risk of collapsing

The Next Health Care Crisis: Michigan’s Safety net at risk of collapsing

There is another health care crisis in America exacerbated by COVID-19. While doctors work to keep our emergency rooms clear, neglecting community-based mental health and other community-based social services will cause a further strain on hospitals that will soon be at capacity if they too do not get relief soon from the state.

Forced to break the news yourself

Earlier this week, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan) broke the news that they were planning on having a more limited role with the Monarchy, in part because they story would have been told by the tabloids.

From a crisis management standpoint, it was important that they broke the news themselves rather than read about it in the tabloids. However, they forgot to inform the Queen and others within their family and consequently stepped out of one crisis and entered another.

I am not sure of the circumstances and I am not familiar with the protocols but I do know that in any crisis you bring your team together to make informed decisions as quickly as possible.

Ideally, they should have thought it through in regards to #Whatif.

  • What if the tabloids leaked the story?

  • What if the web designer was working on this project in a Starbuck’s and someone saw it?

If they prepared for these scenario’s they would have been in a better position to deal with the crisis, with the support of his grandparents and family?

Sometimes external forces force us to make a difficult and take our story to the media first. It happens a lot in politics or with public figures.

When they made their announcement they also launched their website, which I think was a bit premature since the details of their departure had not yet been approved by the Queen. So I would’ve held off on this rather than give more information for the press to review.

The website is clean and well done. More public figures should create their own websites like this to take control of their narrative and protect their brand. It is a sad reality but in the era of fake news and no news at all, we need to create and preserve our own public record.

There is a lot we can learn from the Royal Family and there is a lot that Harry has learned from his mom and how his mom was treated. That is most likely why it is the decision they made for themself and what let them to create the website in the first place. After each crisis, we need to internalize the lessons learned and prepare for the next crisis. Unfortunately, many of us just don’t plan ahead — We should!

Small Utilities Are Unprepared To Deal With The Next Crisis, But Its Never To Late

Small Utilities Are Unprepared To Deal With The Next Crisis, But Its Never To Late

Cyberattacks against the energy sector are growing in both number and sophistication. With more than a dozen small utilities located near critical infrastructure targeted in the past year, there are steps that companies can take to minimize their risk and protect their consumers despite the lack of budget or resources.