Team Hello & Goodbye

September 1, 2023

HEET threw a festive farewell party earlier this month for Carrie Klein, who served as our director of communications since 2021. Carrie has worn many hats at HEET, from managing our social media and PR, to keeping our followers informed through in-depth newsletters and website content, to one of her signature accomplishments, this video that artfully explains networked geothermal. This fall, Carrie will be entering New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting program. We will miss Carrie and will definitely be staying in touch and following the bright career she has ahead of her.

We are also happy to welcome incoming director of communications Laurel Kayne. Laurel brings years of experience in communications as well as a life-long passion for environmental issues. Laurel first met co-executive director Audrey Schulman while participating in a year-long carbon-cutting challenge and has been a devoted fan of HEET ever since.

This Is Carrie Klein, Signing Off

Carrie at Eastie Farm, which has a geothermal greenhouse.

Before coming to HEET, I knew I was interested in pursuing a career in the environmental field. But growing up knowing that climate change would worsen over time, I expected that the work I would find would be increasingly distressing and difficult to stay in. At HEET, I have been surprised and overjoyed to find that I’m coming away with more hope than I started with.

I have seen that progress towards a more sustainable future is possible: gas utilities (16 of them now) are meeting regularly to discuss a pathway to networked geothermal, a technology that could drastically reduce emissions across the country while increasing equity. I’ve witnessed two utility-run networked geothermal installations begin in Massachusetts, met union leaders, utility executives, legislators, and community members who are similarly heartened and hopeful about a path forward to meet local and state climate goals and transform the way we heat and cool our buildings.

It has been an honor to be a part of this work and to help make it accessible to all different groups through communications. I look forward to carrying this perspective with me as I take my next step into graduate school. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged and shared your knowledge with me along the way and please stay in touch!