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 twenty-five years.
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. You can reach me at cote@poweredforpatients.org or by calling 401-374-8500.
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 public policy development and advocacy, crisis communications, media relations, strategic communications planning, and disaster preparedness for more than twenty-five years.
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 for hospitals and other critical facilities the public depends on during power outages. He has also developed groundbreaking approaches to boost power outage support for in-home life support users during power outages. His big ideas and bold initiatives are helping to save lives and safeguard America.
Among Eric’s groundbreaking accomplishments:
- Developed the nation’s most far-reaching emergency power threat reporting requirements for hospitals during power outages
- Won funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to boost power outage support for life-support patients living at home
- Pioneered a new approach to harness electronic health records and other data sources to identify the most vulnerable life support users so they can be prioritized for stepped up support during power outages
- Introduced new tools to bolster disaster preparedness for individuals with disabilities and the agencies serving them
- Created a national safety campaign to protect people from flying glass during bombings and natural disasters, working with the mother of one of the youngest victims of the Oklahoma City bombing to garner national attention and Congressional action
Cote has shared his expertise as a speaker and panelist at many national conferences and he has authored white papers, playbooks, and toolkits on a range of preparedness topics. He’s also been invited to author articles on best practices in safeguarding emergency power by prestigious, peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Critical Infrastructure Policy and the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning.
To learn more about Cote’s work making America safer, please visit www.disastersafetystrategies.com.
Serving Clients in Four Primary Areas
Public Policy & Advocacy
Crisis Communications
Strategic Communications
Disaster Preparedness
My Approach to Success
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
Notable Moment
Eric Cote joins with Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson following a Town Hall Meeting organized by the Congresswoman to address the tragic deaths of 12 elderly residents at the Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center following Hurricane Irma.
