Staff Spotlight: Jennifer Hill-Hart, CUB Policy Manager
Posted on July 11, 2023 by Cassie Allen
Tags, General Interest
CUB is proud to introduce you to our Policy Manager, Jennifer Hill-Hart.
Have you ever wondered what a typical day looks like for a Policy Manager? For Jennifer, her workday depends on what time of year it is. During the legislative session, her workload changes quickly. She’s often at the Capitol in Salem, talking to legislators, attending hearings, and giving testimony while coordinating with coalition partners. During the rest of the year, she uses her legal background to work on energy policy cases. Jennifer regularly meets with coalition groups to discuss and strategize policy changes that impact Oregonians with low incomes.
Jennifer anticipates challenges around effectively passing laws and communicating the long-term impacts of not planning for decarbonization. Jennifer and CUB agree that it’s just a reality that fossil fuels won’t be viable in the future. For her, it will always be a challenge to communicate that we’re not taking away customers’ choices or gas appliances in people’s homes but rather incentivizing truly clean and affordable energy policy.
“Rather than allowing ourselves to be distracted by strawman arguments over whether someone is going to take your gas stove away,” says Jennifer, “we need to focus on passing inclusive and just energy policies to make this energy transition as simple and affordable as possible for all Oregonians. A system that considers and minimizes the impact of decarbonization on Oregonians with low incomes and disabilities, communities of color, and seniors benefits us all. ”
“We need to focus on passing inclusive and just energy policies to make this energy transition as simple and affordable as possible for all Oregonians” - Jennifer Hill-Hart, CUB Policy Manager
Jennifer Hill-Hart has found the perfect outlet for all her interests as CUB’s hard-working Policy Manager. She loves working at the intersection of climate, energy policy, and public interest work, and “really likes to think about the big picture and address issues on the front end.” She also thoroughly enjoys working with “great people who truly care about their communities,” like Bob, CUB’s Executive Director, who she said is a great mentor.
Even at just five years old, Jennifer remembers the feeling of striking wrongness when she heard that her favorite giant oak tree would be cut down to make way for development in her Indiana hometown. That moment stayed with her as she grew up watching rural farmland turn into urban sprawl and ultimately made her realize that she wanted to fight for nature and marginalized communities.
When Jennifer arrived at the University of Colorado, her passion for advocacy led her to study environmental justice and the impact of nuclear energy development on Native American tribes. From there, Jennifer earned a J.D., a Federal Indian Law certificate, and a M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. She then worked for the Montana Legal Services Association providing low-income advocacy for tribal communities before moving onto the energy realm by working for a renewable energy and sustainable agriculture nonprofit and as legal counsel for the Montana Public Service Commission.
CUB is proud to have Jennifer as our capable, passionate Policy Manager!
07/11/23 | 1 Comment | Staff Spotlight: Jennifer Hill-Hart, CUB Policy Manager