Catherine Morris

Catherine Morris has over 20 years of experience as a mediator and consensus builder. She works with diverse, often opposing, parties to reach a better understanding of the problem and the intersection of parties’ interests to facilitate agreement. Before becoming a trained mediator, Catherine worked for 10 years for a state regulatory commission, and 10 years for an air quality and climate change think tank. At the think tank, she worked with government officials, energy sector players, experts, and energy and environmental advocates to provide insights and guidance on the development of state, local and federal policy recommendations. Catherine also designs and facilitates organizational strategic planning; provides workplace mediation, training, and coaching; and supports network- and coalition-building efforts.  

Areas of Focus

Catherine has built her career in energy and environmental policy to support a wide range of multi-party consultations and agreement-seeking processes. She has worked on rural electrification in Africa and Asia, development of both land-based and offshore renewable energy projects, policies to support the interface between natural gas and electricity markets, and energy facilities siting policies in New Hampshire. She has led processes to help stakeholders understand and collaborate on the role of nuclear power, renewable energy, fuels and infrastructure needed to advance a clean energy future. Catherine has also worked with NGOs, the federal government, and corporations to protect oceans and fisheries. Through extensive outreach to the commercial and recreational fishing industry, Catherine has helped both government and corporate clients develop communication strategies designed to build credibility and trust between parties. Other areas of expertise include air quality, land use, and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Catherine leads innovative approaches to organizational development and strategic partnerships. By taking time to understand the culture and mission of organizations, identify internal and external drivers for change, strengthen relationships, and coach leaders to achieve organizational goals. Catherine astutely leads organizations through change. She has facilitated the formation of organizational collaboratives to tackle complex problems, which only diverse organizations working together can accomplish.  

Exemplary Projects

• East Baltimore Collaborative
• Smith Island Vision Plan
• Renewables on the Ground in New York
• Nuclear Power Joint Fact Finding
• ESMAP Accelerating Rural Electrification with Mini Grids
• BOEM Fisheries Communication and Outreach Strategy 

Clients

The following is a partial list of clients:

International Organizations

• World Bank Group
• Climate Investment Fund
• International Monetary Fund

Federal Government

• U.S. Department of Energy
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• NOAA, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• Department of Commerce, Fish and Wildlife Service
• Northeast Fisheries Science Center

State Government

• Maryland Department of Natural Resources
• NY State Energy and Research Development Authority
• New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning
• Vermont Public Service Commission

Nonprofit Organizations and Foundations

• The Nature Conservancy
• Center for Community Progress
• Future 500
• Conservational International
• Artic Ocean Coalition
• East Baltimore Collaborative
• Chesapeake Bay Funders Network
• Energy Foundation
• Pew Charitable Trust

Companies

• Natural Gas Council
• George Washington University
• Nuclear Energy Institute
• Eversource Energy
• PJM
• Deepwater Wind 

Education and Affiliations

Catherine is a senior mediator on the rosters of the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. She holds a B.A. in economics from The College of William and Mary and an MRP in Economic and Environmental Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has a mediation/facilitation certificate from George Mason University’s Northern Virginia Mediation Center and additional training in co-active coaching and group process consulting. 

Books and Articles

• Energy in the Landscape to be published by Lincoln Institute for Land Use, 2017, Author of chapters on nuclear waste and transmission and pipelines.
• National and State Energy Policy Trends: Research Brief for Appalachian Region Commission Energy Blueprint, 2006, C.A. Morris and H. Bergman
• "Promoting Clean Power, Clean Air and Brownfield Redevelopment: Summary of Preliminary Results," published in Electricity Restructuring and the Environment, A US-German Dialogue, Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2000.
• Multiple articles for The Electricity Journal, 1991-94 on a wide range of electricity market, policy and environmental issues.