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Their words, our words

Taunia and Andy provided exceptional support and guidance to our small communications team during a very tumultuous time. They provided us strategic direction to help identify the best methods for reaching our residents and helped us craft authentic messaging, relying on factual information. They were thoughtful in their approach, demonstrating their expertise as communication professionals every step of the way.

Kristen Chernosky

City of Brighton

Grace and Grit

We are so grateful we got to know your team. We were immediately impressed by Clermont Eliot, and throughout this campaign you have been invaluable assets to Amendment B’s passage. It’s hard to thank you for each OpEd, pitch, stakeholder conversation, or drive to Yuma!

Thank you for jumping into the deep end of the pool with grace and grit!

Kate Roberts, COO

EIS Solutions

Laser Focus

I am particularly impressed by Taunia and Andy’s ability to always put a laser focus on my overall goals, while staying within budget, and delivering a polished, expert product in the end. Taunia has an amazing talent to handle even the toughest group of employees – effortlessly. That skill set takes years to develop and it is obvious that her time as a journalist in the newsroom carries over to her profession today.

I sleep better at night knowing that I can rely on the team at Clermont Eliot to help me with any issues that may arise!

Jennifer Dunne, Communications Manager

Orica North America

Tap into Clermont Eliot's perspective, insights, and lessons learned from decades of media and communication experience with our Study Sessions blog.

Practices

• Persuasive Messaging

• Visual Storytelling

• Brand & Issue Marketing

• Engagement & Community Voice

• Crisis Planning & Management

• Media Strategy & Training

• Voter Education

• Reputation Management

• Social & Digital

• Partnerships & Stakeholder Experience

Expertise Sectors

• Local Government

• Water & Utilities

• Public Safety

• Ballot Initiatives

• Higher Education

• Behavioral Health

• Public Health

• Nonprofit

• Construction

People

Andy Cohen

We founded Clermont Eliot on the philosophy that communication provides the infrastructure for progress. My years of work with water providers has lent this analogy: effective communication requires the right transmission system (the pipes) to deliver the right content (the water flowing through them). Building those transmission systems and crafting refreshing content has been my professional pursuit for more than 15 years—as a senior communications strategist, public relations manager, and television news producer.

Engineering successful communication and marketing solutions energizes me because it allows for the exploration of a variety of passions: research and data insights, learning through subject matter experts, developing multimedia strategies and creative concepts, and above all…writing. Put another way, I enjoy making a living by being a curious, creative consensus-builder for projects that impact communities locally, statewide, and regionally. Solutions to our largest issues begin locally, and it’s in that spirit that I find work with local governments and providers to be especially rewarding.

As a personal aside, I enjoy the amazing network of bicycle trails and routes in the Denver area, and whimsical banter with my wife (which has resulted in the recording of many unreleased episodes of what is either a very good, or very bad podcast). We also enjoy hopping around the planet (often landing in Iceland), and talking about how we should go up to the mountains more often.

Find more about me on LinkedIn (and connect with me), get in touch, or read more of my perspective and experiences in Clermont Eliot’s Study Sessions publication.

Taunia Hottman

I have proudly worked in newsrooms big and small. Over 20 years, I had the job no one wanted (chyron operator and tape runner), and the one that earned me the most street cred (breaking news videographer/reporter/ad hoc engineer in the 9News helicopter). Beyond working in one of the most storied local news brands in the country with KUSA-TV, I was also a reporter, senior copywriter and multimedia journalist in Chicago and New York City, as well as network news programs CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and CNN’s then morning news show, American Morning.

Andy and I created Clermont Eliot because we have enjoyed helping others reach their communication objectives. In the process, we’ve fostered relationships that are long-lasting and built on trust. It’s uniquely satisfying when experts in their respective field come to understand how communication strategies create value in their work, service, or product. It’s even better when, months or years later, those we’ve worked alongside come back to us with another complex issue that needs to be tackled.

It is a bit cheeky for me to say, but one of the best decisions anyone can make is to hire or work with a former journalist. Those who have been under the pressure of constant deadlines and dysfunctional work environments, learned how to analyze complicated subject matter and distill it (and in about 60 seconds), and were under the constant microscope of a viewing and social media audience are perfectly conditioned for issues management and crisis communications, not to mention strong media strategy. Do yourself and your audiences a favor and hire a former newsie today!

As a mother of two children and the wife of a busy journalist, I am fueled by four things (surprise, surprise, sleep is not one of them): black coffee from my neighborhood coffee shop, hot yoga, a good laugh with a fabulous friend, and planning my next family vacation on a Disney cruise ship.

MEDIA

25 years as journalists in Denver, Chicago, New York, and CNN. We know Colorado’s media landscape, frequently interact with journalists, and have counseled and trained teams to win coverage and navigate interviews.

WRITING

We’ve written for US senators, corporate officers, state lawmakers, county commissioners, mayors, and myriad sector-specific subject matter experts. All have plenty to say. All entrusted Clermont Eliot to say it well and in a variety of ways.

ENGAGEMENT

Leverage your existing community relationships with our proven experience in gathering both qualitative and quantitative insight. We build listening strategies to inform key decisions, and generate momentum and support for your core issues.