Staff Spotlight: Cassie Allen, Development & Communications Lead
Posted on October 2, 2024 by Charlotte Shuff
Tags, Energy, General Interest
CUB staff have been working hard to ensure all Oregonians have access to clean, reliable, and affordable utilities. Today, we’re excited to highlight a talented member of our Outreach Team, CUB’s Development & Communications Lead, Cassie Allen.
Have you ever wondered what a Development & Communications Lead does? Cassie’s days consist of writing, collaborating with other staff members, managing CUB’s digital and fundraising efforts, and event planning. On any given day, you can find Cassie synthesizing complicated energy policies to create meaningful and engaging digital content, processing donations, or managing CUB’s events calendar.
A Day in the Life of a Communications & Development Professional
CUB advocates for affordable, accessible, reliable, and clean utilities for people in Oregon. As CUB’s Communications & Development Lead, Cassie’s role in the advocacy process is to utilize communication and fundraising tools to engage CUB’s membership and break down complicated policy topics.
In her day-to-day work, Cassie uses her professional skills to center utility customers’ voices and lived experiences. One example of this important work is Cassie’s story collection project. Since starting at CUB, Cassie proposed and implemented her idea to gather the stories of people impacted by rate increases, heat waves, and more. With people’s permission, CUB uses these stories in rate cases and on social media to better understand and advocate for customers.
Cassie also works hard to ensure CUB’s donors have opportunities to support our work. She does that by processing mailed donations, writing donation appeal letters, and engaging with CUB members by phone, email, or social media. She’s passionate about ensuring that regardless of financial circumstances, CUB members know that their voices are crucial in creating a future where utilities are affordable and equitable.
Cassie’s Journey to CUB
Cassie joined CUB in February 2022. Her qualifications stood out among a competitive candidate pool because of her extensive grassroots organizing expertise, communication experience, grants management skills, and fundraising abilities. Her background in community engagement, desire to meet people where they are, and ability to connect with people from all walks of life have been invaluable assets to CUB’s Outreach Team.
Cassie holds a Political Science Degree from the University of Florida and cut her teeth as a Field Organizer working for democratic campaigns in Florida. After moving to the Pacific Northwest, she honed her organizing and leadership skills by advocating for ranked-choice voting as FairVote Washington’s Field Director. Her passions extend beyond economic justice and include democracy reform, public policy communication, and ethical storytelling.
As a gregarious extrovert, Cassie revels in engaging with CUB’s members across the state. She loves fielding calls from people who want to discuss utility regulations, bill payment support, or donations. In the words of Bob Jenks, CUB’s Executive Director, Cassie is “great for workplace culture.”
Cassie stays motivated at CUB by her drive to make public policy more accessible to everyday people. She’s thrilled by opportunities to expand her skills and loves learning new ways to center the lived experiences of utility customers. Cassie actively pursues professional development opportunities and recently graduated from Drive Your Narrative’s 2024 Oregon Communications Academy. She truly cares about customers and is proud to work towards a future where all Oregonians can access affordable utilities.
The Hobbies of an Outreach Professional
When not talking everyone’s ear off, Cassie can usually be found touching grass on Portland’s soccer fields. Despite not having played since she was 12, Cassie joined a soccer league last Spring and loves kicking the ball around with her team, Mia Hamm’s Sandwiches.
Cassie is also an avid reader, hiker, camper, and swimmer. Summers are her favorite time of year and you can usually find her camping out on a river bank with a good paperback book.
Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues
CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.
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12/09/24 | 0 Comments | Staff Spotlight: Cassie Allen, Development & Communications Lead