HEATHER NEWPORT 

Director of Community Relations

Heather Newport’s career spans more than 15 years of strategic communications in industries including clean energy, economic development, automotive, and tourism. Throughout her career, Heather has specialized in earned and paid media, community relations, and executive thought leadership to help organizations and brands earn attention and engage with audiences in meaningful and impactful ways.

 

At Aileron, Heather leads communications and community relations strategies to advance clean energy projects across the U.S, with a focus on clean energy manufacturing and energy storage development. She identifies ways to engage key community stakeholders, create opportunities to educate the public and finds meaningful ways to contribute to the local communities.  Her work includes community assessments and outreach, long-term engagement strategies and execution, media relations and permitting support.

 

Prior to joining Aileron, she spent seven years supporting the Michigan Economic Development Corporation elevating the narrative about Michigan as a place to live, work and play through earned and owned media and strategic partnerships. Heather also supported General Motors to increase consideration for EV fleet vehicles through earned media activations and executive thought leadership, and led aftermarket awareness campaigns including remanufacturing and sustainability, counterfeit parts, and workplace automation.  She spent three years at Ally Financial, leading culture communications and programs for internal and employee audiences, notably developing and leading an enterprise-wide innovation competition that promoted collaborative thinking among business functions.

 

She received her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Wayne State University and her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Eastern Michigan University.