 Greetings,
How did I cut my teeth in crisis communications and public policy development? As a press secretary and senior advisor for a United States Congressman, the Governor of Rhode Island, and the mayor of a large Northeastern city. This public sector experience – issuing statements in front of the cameras, volleying with reporters, and working behind the scenes – became the foundation for the counsel I’ve provided to clients for more than two decades. Since founding my consulting practice in 1999, I have served a wide range of clients, including those whose mission is to help protect our nation from the impact of disasters. That work has allowed me to hone unique expertise and capabilities in the emergency management and public health preparedness arena, which are enhanced by my experience in crisis communications, strategic communications and public policy development. With each new engagement, my perspective and skills sharpen, enabling me to build a long list of satisfied clients and a solid record of accomplishments. Today, I serve clients in four primary areas: • Crisis Communications If you face a challenge in any of these areas, feel free to reach out so we can discuss how I may be of service. Sincerely, My Approach to Success: Assembling a Custom Team Built to Tackle Each Client’s Challenge “I recognize that each client engagement is unique and often requires a special team of dedicated professionals to deliver the results my clients need. The common thread in every team I assemble is my presence as the team leader, working hand in hand with colleagues to develop a strategic approach to address the challenge at hand. When clients face challenges in the PR or public affairs realm, my years of experience as a media relations and crisis communications expert and my fluency in public policy place me at the center of both strategy development and execution. In the disaster preparedness arena, I have led many projects independently, built coalitions of public and private sector partners and worked as part of a broader team of diverse professionals, sometimes convened by others, that included engineers, health policy experts and government officials. When my clients need creative services, a sophisticated online presence or a far-reaching social media campaign, I assemble the perfect team of long-term colleagues and associates whose expertise powerfully rounds out my core capabilities.” -Eric Cote Eric Cote Bio Eric Cote’s experience working for elected leaders has given him a deep understanding of public policy, executive leadership, crisis communications and message development. He has served as a senior advisor to a number of elected leaders including former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Almond, whom Eric served as Director of Federal Relations and later as Press Secretary and Director of Communications. Eric also served as Press Secretary for Congressman Bill Paxon (R-NY-27) and spokesman for former Cranston, RI Mayor Michael Traficante. Eric has used his public sector experience to provide valued counsel to clients in the areas of crisis communications, strategic communications, disaster preparedness and public policy development for over two decades. Eric has leveraged the writing skills developed as a press secretary and honed over the past two decades to become a valued author of white papers, playbooks, and toolkits that address important disaster preparedness topics. Above all, Eric is a strategic thinker who understands the big picture of an issue and how to work with key players with important roles in shaping outcomes on issues that matter. His trademark approach to challenging situations is a calm demeanor and attention to detail that ensures the most complicated tasks are completed with skill and a commitment to excellence. Unique Expertise in Disaster Safety and Preparedness In the disaster preparedness arena, Eric has earned recognition as one of the nation’s foremost experts in emergency power resilience, developing groundbreaking approaches to safeguarding emergency power in hospitals and other critical facilities the public depends on during power outages. This reputation arose from Eric’s work following Hurricane Sandy, which triggered the failure of emergency power systems in six New York City area hospitals. These failures inspired Eric to create Powered for Patients, a 501c3 non-profit that works to safeguard emergency power and expedite prioritized power restoration for critical healthcare facilities impacted by disaster. Powered for Patients advances its mission by facilitating increased collaboration and information sharing between government, utilities and critical healthcare facilities, enabling collective planning and accelerated response when emergency power is threatened during power outages. Under Eric’s leadership, Powered for Patients has received multiple rounds of federal funding to advance stakeholder engagement initiatives across the U.S. In 2018, Powered for Patients received funding from the Department of Homeland Security to develop the Power P.I.O.N.E.E.R. Dashboard Prototype, advanced technology to enable the first ever real time and automated notification of government officials and utilities when emergency power is threatened at a critical healthcare facility. Eric’s expertise in emergency power resilience has been called on by government agencies, engineering firms and emergency management consultants working to protect those who depend on the continued operation of critical facilities during power outages. Prior to Eric’s foray into emergency power resilience, he helped turn the Oklahoma City bombing into a catalyzing event for a life-saving American industry. With the creation of the Protecting People First Foundation (PPFF), Eric and his team worked with the mother of a bombing victim to develop and lead a national campaign to highlight the deadly effects of flying glass and the technologies available to protect people from this threat. Just two months after 9/11, Eric organized a Congressional hearing where PPFF bomb blast experts briefed members of Congress on the range of technologies available to protect windows in federal buildings. A year after 9/11, Eric organized an event at the Pentagon to recognize federal officials for their foresight in investing in bomb-blast resistant windows at the Pentagon that were credited with saving lives on 9/11. In 2004, when Hurricane Charley roared ashore in Punta Gorda, Florida, Eric saw an opportunity for protective glazing manufacturers to document the efficacy of their technology in protecting people and property from hurricanes. Under Eric’s direction, the PPFF teamed up with noted structural engineers from ABS Consulting to launch Project Safe Windows, a comprehensive research initiative to evaluate window damage in Hurricane Charley. The culmination of Project Safe Windows was the publication of Finding the Breaking Point, an acclaimed report authored by Eric and his colleagues that documented the success and failure of various window protection technologies throughout the record breaking 2004 hurricane season. The report was peer reviewed by a noted structural engineer and was hailed by Craig Fugate, then the Director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management who later became the FEMA Administrator. Cote’s expertise in the protective glazing arena led to his hiring by protective glazing manufacturers to advance public policy campaigns and building code reform aimed at increasing the use of technology to protect people from flying glass hazards. Before forming Eric Cote Consulting in 2020, Eric led CK Communications and previously co-founded Cote & D’Ambrosio in 1999, an award-winning and public policy communications firm he led with his now retired business partner, Ken D’Ambrosio. |
Notable Moments 
Eric Cote speaks at a Protecting People First Foundation event at the Pentagon in November 2012 to recognize Department of Defense officials for their foresight in investing in bomb-blast resistant windows at the Pentagon prior to the 9/11 attacks. The windows were credited with saving lives on 9/11 since they did not break despite being close to the point of impact of highjacked American Airlines flight 77. To Cote’s right is Aren Almon-Kok, spokesperson for the Protecting People First Foundation. Behind Cote is an original section of the Pentagon’s exterior wall, left in its charred state from the plane’s impact and inscribed with date; September 11, 2001. 
Eric Cote briefs First Lady Hillary Clinton at the White House on the work of the Protecting People First Foundation during a meeting in 1999. Joining Cote at the briefing, to his left, were: Richard Eannarino, a donor to the Foundation; Stan Kok, holding his daughter Bella Kok, and Aren Almon-Kok, mother of Bella Kok and Baylee Almon, one of 19 children killed in the Oklahoma City Bombing. What Clients Say “In developing Powered for Patients, Eric Cote has demonstrated his out-of-the box strategic thinking and skill in coalition building. This project benefitted from outside creative thinking to bring together disparate interests for a common purpose. The impressive result of his work is a platform that can help tackle the serious challenge of protecting backup power and restoring utility power for critical healthcare facilities impacted by disaster. This is an area of great concern to public health officials and we now have an excellent vehicle in Powered for Patients to address this challenge.” Gerrit T. Bakker “Without a doubt, Eric Cote and his team helped us save Sweet Briar College. We are grateful for Eric’s media savvy and calm demeanor that provided a steady hand from the very first days of our fight right through our incredible victory. Eric and his team helped shape and implement the media strategy that provided a potent and steady media barrage. This really helped tip the scales in our successful fight to save Sweet Briar College.” Tracy Stuart “Eric Cote and his team have been partners from the very beginning, helping to build Rx Response from the ground up. Their initial work in opening doors with key state emergency management leaders helped us establish credibility and grow into a highly respected organization.” Erin Mullen, RPh, PhD, CEM |
