Staffing Advisors is proud to have partnered with Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) in the selection of its Chief Communications Officer, Monica Trauzzi. SEPA is an $18MM nonprofit organization with more than 1,000 members, including utilities that serve the majority of American households. SEPA is a nonpartisan convener bringing diverse energy stakeholders together to solve the sector’s most pressing challenges. The organization operates with approximately 66 staff. Read SEPA’s full announcement here.

“Monica is a trailblazer in energy communications, and we are thrilled to welcome her to SEPA. Her creativity and passion for elevating complex energy conversations will take our brand and voice to new heights. With Monica leading both SEPA’s communications strategy and the Public Utilities Fortnightly team, we’re amplifying our ability to convene diverse perspectives and spark the dialogue needed to transform the energy sector.”

— Sheri Givens, SEPA President and CEO

About the Search for SEPA’s Next Chief Communications Officer

After a deep discovery process to identify the organization’s most critical business issues and strategic priorities, Staffing Advisors sought an executive with deep energy sector expertise to elevate SEPA’s visibility and influence in the energy ecosystem, expand its market presence, and lead an integrated strategy across communications, branding, and stakeholder engagement.

The search was led by Staffing Advisors Vice President of Executive Search Aileen Hedden, with strategy consulting from Founder & President Bob Corlett and support from the entire Staffing Advisors team.

Working closely with SEPA’s leadership, Staffing Advisors surfaced several key competency areas for the role. A summary of each is listed below:

  • Brand Strategy and Digital Communications. Lead SEPA’s brand and voice strategy, ensuring messaging is clear, compelling, and mission-aligned across executive communications, digital platforms, and media engagement.
  • Marketing. Drive integrated marketing strategies for SEPA’s events, education, and research products tailored to the needs of key players across the energy sector (utilities, software companies, community organizations, etc.).
  • Public Utilities Fortnightly. Oversee the editorial direction and brand development of Public Utilities Fortnightly to position it as the leading journal for regulated utilities while broadening its appeal to a wider audience of clean energy stakeholders.
  • External Contractors. Manage and strengthen relationships with PR agencies, freelance writers, and creative vendors to balance in-house capacity with outsourced expertise, resulting in high-impact campaigns and products that generate a high return on investment.
  • Audience Intelligence. Position SEPA as a forward-looking industry partner by using market research to identify trends, expand into new markets, and diversify engagement channels.

The Staffing Advisors team was honored to support SEPA in this important leadership transition. Since 2016, our team has partnered with SEPA on several key roles, including a Chief Experience Officer, a Vice President of Development, and a Vice President of Industry and Research Strategy.