seec staff retreat

On January 23, SEEC Institute is bringing Congressional staff together for a high-energy, half-day staff retreat designed to strengthen their work.

The retreat has two core tracks: professional development and SEEC coalition strategy. For the skills portion, we’re bringing in former senior Congressional and Biden Administration staff for an insider, nuts-and-bolts session on what it really takes to be effective political operators in the environmental policy space: how to read the room, move ideas, build influence, and deliver results.

Then we’ll shift into strategy mode. Attendees will spend time connecting as a team, deepening relationships, and building a clear, aligned coalition plan for this Congressional session to be coordinated and strategic.

Why this matters: This retreat is a chance for staffers to level up skills, tighten internal coordination, and leave with a shared game plan so SEEC can show up stronger and have more impact.

This event is for Congressional staff. For further information, please reach out to: info@seecinstitute.org.

You're invited to the launch of our new publication

America’s Best Idea in Peril: Climate Change & the Future of our National Parks

Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2044
4:00-5:00 PM: Report Launch
5:00-6:00 PM: Networking Reception

Join us for the launch of a new report from SEEC Institute and the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks outlining key findings on climate change in our national parks and the solutions that will ensure that these lands and the communities that depend on them are not lost to the climate crisis.

Our expert speakers include:

• Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02)

• Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-05)

• Amy Gilbert Fehir, Senior Advisor and former Executive Director, The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

• Max Frankel, Executive Director, SEEC Institute

• Ana Unruh Cohen, Staff Director, House Natural Resources Committee

• Garrett Downs, Congress Reporter, E&E News

"The way I see it, it’s a straightforward proposition - either Congress acts, or our parks disappear.”
-Rep. Quigley

For nearly a decade, Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) has led delegations of Members of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) to national parks across the United States to see firsthand how climate change is impacting America’s most iconic landscapes. From eroding coastlines in Acadia to intensifying wildfires in Yosemite, our national parks are sounding the alarm.

📅 Wednesday, May 21, 2025
🕔 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Distilled Spirits Council, 101 Constitution Ave, NW

Join us in celebrating SEEC Institute's first birthday! We’re hosting a cocktail celebration to thank our supporters, partners, and the environment and clean energy champions on Capitol Hill and beyond. Raise a glass with us as we toast to what we’ve accomplished and what’s ahead. 

This celebration follows the Tech for Climate Action: U.S. AI & Energy Summit and comes just ahead of the Third Annual U.S. Clean Energy Transition Conference on May 22, offering a perfect moment to connect between two major climate and innovation events. 

Expect good drinks, good company, and words of gratitude from our team and board. We look forward to celebrating with you. Spirits Provided by Distilled Spirits Council.

SEEC Institute programming is designed to comply with House and Senate Ethics rules.

The Road to Belém: Sustaining U.S. Climate Diplomacy

 Wednesday, April 9th

Programming: 4:30-6:00 PM | Networking reception: 6:00-7:00 PM

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital

921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE

Join SEEC Institute, Members of Congress, and top climate leaders for a high-impact discussion on international climate action as we build momentum toward COP 30. This will be a pivotal conversation on global climate leadership and how U.S. federal engagement with the international climate movement can continue. The event will be followed by a networking reception.

event run of show

4:30 - 4:40 PM: Arrivals and Check-in

4:40-4:45 PM: Welcome and introduction to panel

4:45 - 5:15 PM: Fireside Chat: The Road to COP 30

• Moderator: Rep. Yassamin Ansari

• Her Excellency Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Ambassador of Brazil to the U.S.

• Gina McCarthy, Managing Co-chair of America Is All In, former White House National Climate Advisor, and 13th US EPA Administrator

5:15-5:20: Introduction to panel

5:20 - 6:00 PM: Panel Discussion: Mobilizing Climate Solutions - Congressional & Business Leadership 

• Moderator: Jesse Young, SEEC Institute Senior Advisor and former Chief of Staff, Office of the Presidential Envoy for Climate

• Rep. Kathy Castor

• Katie McGinty, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer for Johnson Controls, SEEC Institute Board Member

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Networking Reception

Veterans Affairs Committee Staff and staff working on veterans, military, climate, energy, or related issues are invited are invited to join us for a Policy Toolkit briefing: Climate Change for Your Veterans Affairs Staffer.

This briefing will focus on opportunities to align clean energy, resilience, and national security in the jurisdiction of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. From building a resilient and reliable transmission grid to strengthening the defense industrial base, clean energy technologies continue to be versatile and cost-effective options to meet critical national security missions while also helping to combat the global climate crisis that threatens America's long-term national and economic security.

In this briefing, we will explore opportunities to further policy that is good for veterans, good for the environment, and good for the economy at the same time.