Gail Chalef

About Gail Chalef

Accomplished strategic communications and media relations professional with a unique background in corporate, executive, policy, and crisis communications. Extensive experience as a lead communications strategist for global corporations and non-profit organizations. Media relations efforts have resulted in an estimated $500 million in earned interview and op-ed placements in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Financial Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Associated Press, Reuters, ABC News, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX, NPR, BBC, and numerous other digital, print, and broadcast news outlets. Manager of large, geographically diverse teams in the planning, development and execution of complex, multi-layered global initiatives. Award-winning career in journalism which included covering major national and international news events and securing interviews with leading U.S. and global newsmakers, including Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush; British Prime Ministers John Major and Tony Blair; French Presidents François Mitterand, Jacques Chirac, and Nicolas Sarkozy; Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, and Ehud Olmert; South Africa Presidents Nelson Mandela, and Thabo Mbeki; UN Secretary Generals Kofi Annan and Boutros Boutros Ghali: Palestinian Presidents Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas; and among many other heads of state, foreign and defense ministers, Nobel Peace Prize winners, and more.AWARDS and CITATIONS- 2020 Fast Company\'s \"Best Workplace for Innovators\"- 20••••16 UPENN Best Think Tank in the World and Best International Affairs Program Ranking- 2007 Emmy Award for CNN-YouTube Presidential Debate - 2005 Peabody Award for CNN’s Coverage of Hurricane Katrina - 2001 Emmy Citation for CNN\'s Coverage of the 9/11 Attacks- Emmy Award Nomination for Christiane Amanpour\'s interview with PLO’s Yasser Arafat- 1995 Emmy Award for CNN’s Oklahoma City Bombing Coverage

Experience

1. Director of Communications and Public Affairs

   Center For Global Sustainability

   May 2024 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Director of Communications and Public Affairs, leading efforts to raise the visibility of the Center\'s U.S. and global climate research and policy recommendations, as well as the adoption of clean and sustainable energy sources in the United States and worldwide. Promote CGS research and policy recommendations to government officials, policymakers, academics, U.S. and global climate organizations, the media, and other stakeholders.

Education

• University of Pennsylvania

  Masters of Arts in Communications and Public Policy, Annenberg School of Communication

• Northwestern University

  Bachelors of Arts in Journalism, Medill School of Journalism

• Northwestern University

  Bachelor's degree, Journalism and Political Science

Skills

• Foreign Policy
• Public Relations
• International News
• Television
• Journalism
• Crisis Communications
• Media Relations
• Strategic Communications
• Politics
• Editing
• Speech Writing
• Media Production
• Video Production
• Broadcast
• Breaking News
• New Media
• Community Outreach
• Editorial
• Press Releases
• News Writing
• Internal Communications
• Newsletters
• International Relations
• Storytelling
• Writing
• Event Management
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Public Affairs
• Publicity
• Blogging
• Copy Editing
• Corporate Communications
• Social Media
• Copywriting
• Content Strategy
• Web Content
• Message Development
• Managing Media Relations
• Broadcast Journalism
• Digital Media