Rachel Sullivan Brings Strategy and Creativity to NREL Communications

Rachel Sullivan Brings Strategy and Creativity to NREL Communications

Group Manager Named a 2024 Distinguished Member of Operations Staff

A few years after starting at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 2007 as a communications specialist, Rachel Sullivan was assigned to a project that changed the course of her career. The small town of Greensburg, Kansas, had recently been devastated by a tornado and had teamed up with NREL on a recovery plan. City leaders did not just want to replace the buildings that had been lost; they wanted to create a sustainable town that could be a model for the Midwest.

As NREL energy experts helped the community find ways to incorporate energy efficiency and clean energy into new buildings, Sullivan was tasked with creating outreach materials to show the energy savings and other benefits of this approach. It was her first time managing a large portfolio of work rather than doing one-off communications products. It was also her first time being so immersed in the community she was working with.

"I had a unique opportunity to visit Greensburg for the third anniversary of the tornado and see our communications products in action to help them tell their story," Sullivan said.

Today, Sullivan is manager of the Energy Research and Technologies group in NREL's Communications Office, leading more than 40 communications experts. This year, she was named one of 13 Distinguished Members of Operations Staff for not only leading the Communications Office through major growth-doubling in size in five years-but also building a team that has the skills and tools to share NREL's story in a rapidly changing media environment.

"Rachel not only sets the tone and vision for how our office collaborates with researchers to share their scientific breakthroughs with the world, but she also brings unique strategy and creativity to everything she does," said Amy Estes, executive director of Communications. "She's incredible at connecting the dots throughout our office and the lab to ensure we take a holistic approach to communicating."

Throughout her 17 years at the laboratory, Sullivan has worn many hats. She started out in the industrial technology program (now called Advanced Manufacturing) writing newsletters and fact sheets. She was especially drawn to websites, which, in the early 2000s, were becoming the primary way to share information. She sought out more training in web design and user experience so she could pitch creative ideas to her clients.

"I was fascinated by showing clients a mockup of a website and having real users use it in front of me and show me what worked and what didn't," she said.

In 2011, Sullivan started managing communications for a brand-new client: the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy. Building on her efforts in Greensburg doing community resiliency, she worked closely with Indian Energy partners and NREL technical experts to travel to communities and help Tribes develop their energy goals. Liz Doris, now director of NREL's Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis, said having Sullivan on the team was critical to the success of the partnership.

"We worked together to use communications processes, like persona and key messaging development, not only to increase the cultural competence of project teams and create teamwork between the sponsors, Tribes, and technologists but also to actually form the program and identify the most effective project directions," Doris said.

She was not the only one to recognize Sullivan's efforts. In 2013, Sullivan won a National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest award for Public Service. In 2016, she won an NREL President's Award for her leadership on the Communications team and her work positioning NREL as a global center of excellence.

Meanwhile, Sullivan continued trying new things, serving as executive Communications lead for the Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences directorate, then for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, learning the intricacies of different parts of the laboratory. Wherever she went, she was appreciated for her ability to think strategically and creatively while staying true to her client's vision.

So, what is her secret?

"You have to work with a researcher to understand why their research matters and then provide solutions, whether it's a fact sheet, a video, or a social media campaign," Sullivan said. "Clients used to joke that I didn't say no, but that's not true. I would say 'Yes, and … what if we also try this?' No would not be the first word out of my mouth."

Two years ago, she made her way back to science communications to lead a vast and diverse group covering everything from wind and water energy to biofuels and hydrogen. These days, her favorite part of the job is helping people learn and grow.

"Whether it's just being someone they can talk to or connecting the dots across multiple staff, I find a lot of joy in that," Sullivan said.