The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) has named Mike Kruger as the educational nonprofit's new Director of Communications. Kruger most recently served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Director of Digital Engagement at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He began his new position at SEPA on Oct. 24.

At the Department of Commerce, he directed the Agency's first-ever Office of Digital Engagement, which was created under his leadership in February 2014. During his six years at Commerce he built the online presence of 11 bureaus and the Office of the Secretary, growing community engagement on Facebook and Twitter 100 percent in just one year. In 2013, Fedscoop, an online news site covering federal IT, named Kruger one of the top 25 most influential people under 40 in government and tech, and a year later, he was also included in a Huffington Post list of the 70 most innovative federal government technologists on social media. 

"Mike Kruger comes to SEPA with a distinguished record of achievement in both traditional and digital media, and a drive to keep innovating in how to engage a broad range of audiences and industry stakeholders," said President and CEO Julia Hamm. "With our name change earlier this year -- from Solar Electric Power Association to Smart Electric Power Alliance -- SEPA has expanded its role as a thought leader in the United States' transition to a clean energy future. Having Mike on board will ensure our communications strategy and media platforms capture and continue to tell the story of the dynamic changes going on in our industry."

"I am thrilled to join SEPA," Kruger said. "The organization's unique mission -- aimed at fostering collaboration between utilities and other energy industry stakeholders around deployment and integration of solar, storage, demand response, and other distributed energy resources -- is one of the most important undertakings for our nation and our world,"
 
Prior to his work at the Department of Commerce, Kruger was Online Outreach Specialist for the U.S. House of Representatives' Education and Labor Committee. He also spent several years as a middle school teacher in Washington, D.C., and internationally. He holds a bachelor's degree from Western Washington University and master's degree from the University of London.

The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) | www.sepapower.org