Communications
MONIQUE HANIS - DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Monique is responsible for all communications in support of the association's strategic priorities and lobbying efforts. She is spokesperson for SEIA, develops and implements SEIA's communications plans, manages the communications team and supports key member efforts including SEIA's Public Relations Committee, the Utility-Scale Messaging Working Group and the Solar Thermal Messaging Working Group. Also, she launched SEIA's Environment, Health & Safety Committee. Monique joined SEIA in 2007 with more than 18 years experience in marketing and communications for the financial services industry. As senior vice president for Marketing & Business Development at America's Community Bankers, Monique built and managed the marketing team, drove rebranding of the $34 million trade group and increased magazine ad sales to $1.4 million. She also wrote, edited and published several industry books, surveys and articles. Previously she held marketing and communications positions at the Mortgage Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers Association and Bankers Trust Company in New York.
She received her B.A. in Economics and French from Rutgers University and her MBA with Finance concentration from Thunderbird School for Global Management. She is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators and serves on IACB's DC-Metro Board.
Monique lives in a 4 kW and hot water solar-powered home in Arlington, Virginia, with her family. She enjoys being a soccer and lacrosse mom, running, gardening and cooking.
JARED BLANTON - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER & PRESS OFFICER
Jared supports all SEIA communications in support of the association's strategic priorities and lobbying efforts. He worked for more than two years on U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel's (R-NE) staff. As a member of Senator Hagel's press team, Jared worked with international, national, and Nebraska media to advance the Senator's legislative priorities. He also advised the Senator on agriculture and natural resource policy. Jared received his B.S. in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Jared enjoys cycling, flag football, poker tournaments, traveling to Bruce Springsteen concerts and rooting for the Nebraska Huskers.
MONA KHADR - MARKETING MANAGER
Mona provides marketing and branding support for SEIA communications, programs and services. She has 7 years of association marketing experience and received her B.S. in Marketing from Penn State University. Before joining SEIA, she worked in the financial services industry as well as higher education/distance education and performing arts industries.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, movies, learning to cook and live music.
KATE SAMPSON - ASSISTANT MANAGER FOR DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
Kate acts as webmaster and provides support to the growing multimedia communications tools employed at SEIA. She also provides assistance to the Communications Department. Before joining SEIA, Kate worked in public relations and media at Safe Kids Worldwide, where she supported interactive communications, drafted and pitched media content, and coordinated expert interviews with various media (including USA Today, CNN and CBS), among other duties. Kate earned her bachelor of arts in mass communications from UCLA, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.
In her spare time, Kate enjoys cooking, traveling and rooting for her UCLA Bruins.
