Curriculum Vitae
Hayden S. Higgins
hayden.s.higgins@gmail.com
Education
Davidson College, B.A. 2012, magna cum laude
High Honors in Anthropology
Concentration in International Studies
3.814 GPA
Experience
World Resources Institute, August 2016-present
Communications Manager, Sustainable Finance Center, January 2020-present
- Promoted to lead communications full-time for our 18-member team working to shift financial flows to support sustainable development
- Coordinated research and advocacy nonprofit communications and outreach for influential fall 2020 CFTC report on climate-related risks to US financial stability
- Led communications part-time for Sustainable Finance Center (2018-2019), including launch of publications on Belt and Road Initiative, drought risk tools for investors and sovereign risk parametric insurance and development of interactive tools for tracking Green Climate Fund and private banks sustainable finance commitments
- Work with researchers to identify key messages and outreach opportunities for upcoming publications
- Edit and ghostwrite articles for our flagship Insights blog
- Coordinate media outreach, including new reports, op-eds and cross-posts
- Record, edit and produce podcast interviews with WRI and external guests
- Convene monthly coordinating and strategy calls with international communications staff
- Develop assorted communications products, including Stories to Watch presentation delivered by president annually
Co-founder, Publisher
- Publish award-winning daily email newsletter with civic focus to 21k+ Washingtonians.
- Manage and edit team of 12 writers, solicit and edit freelance submissions
- Lead business strategy, steer growth and coordinate weekly ads
The Morning News, October 2014-present
Fellow, 2014-2015
Editor, 2016-present
- Curate links to the day’s most interesting, relevant writing, art and curiosities on the web
- Write up to a dozen headlines daily, pull quotes, occasional fact-checking
- Produce annual “The Year That Was and Wasn’t,†2015-2019, sourcing answers from up to three dozen journalists, writers and thinkers
Project Unzombie, 2019
Steering Committee
- Advisor on “humane technology†effort to build a community where people could find critical reading and practical tips for de-escalation of digital addictions
Sierra Club, May 2016-July 2016
Temporary Organizing Associate
- Turned out membership and coalition to EPA hearings on Regional Haze Rule
- Overwhelmingly outnumbered opposition in Washington, DC and Denver, CO
Put a Price On It/Carbon Price DC/Clean Energy DC, December 2015-present
Steering committee
- Original member of multiyear, multistage campaign that evolved from carbon fee-and-dividend proposal to pass 100% renewable energy by 2032 mandate with further coverage in building efficiency and transportation
Pricing Carbon Initiative, September 2014-March 2016
Special Projects Coordinator
- Research, content development and social media for group brokering off-the-books conversations on carbon pricing among leading advocates from across political spectrum
- Organized two dozen town hall events across the United States on carbon pricing
US Climate Plan, September 2014-September 2015
Outreach and Communications Coordinator
- Helmed membership drives, development and publicity for Sunrise Movement predecessor
- Organizing small youth-oriented climate action campaigns, including on campuses and in US Capitol
DC Divest, October 2013-June 2016
Core organizer
- Campaign successfully won fossil fuel divestment in city pensions
- Organized rallies, liaised with media, owned lobby relationships with Councilmembers
Business Fellow, National Journal
- Conducted interviews, directed brainstorms and completed graphic design for National Journal Research on best practices in government relations and advocacy
- Produced research documents for executive audiences on new products, member satisfaction and market sizing
Pitched and wrote three articles for TheAtlantic.com
C2 Education, Winter 2012-Summer 2013
Tutor
- Drew on previous tutoring experience to teach SAT prep, Spanish, geometry, calculus, chemistry, physics and more
bakin, Winter 2012-Spring 2013
Co-founder
- Developed and pitched startup business as part of Stanford Local Food Lab that would convene an online marketplace for homemade foods
Net Impact, Fall 2012
Conference Content Fellow
- Executed content development at 2012 Net Impact Conference, responsible for recruiting 100+ speakers
- Wrote script for keynote retrospective based on interviews with stakeholders from organization’s history
Davidson College Anthropology Department Honors Program, 2011-2012
Honors Thesis Student
- Spent fall researching anthropology of water rights, sustainable development and Bolivian history as follow-up to research completed during Rutgers in Bolivia
- Returned to Cochabamba in winter for interviews and further research
- Wrote and presented thesis research in spring
Leadership Davidson, 2011-2012
- Completed selective yearlong course in leadership development
Rutgers in Bolivia, Summer 2011
- Attended summer-long study in Cochabamba, Bolivia, including intensive Spanish and participant-observation with neighborhood water committees
The Davidsonian, 2010-2012
- Contributing columnist to op-ed section, with a focus on “Hayden’s Hypotheticals†(sometimes serious, sometimes silly ideas for a better campus)
Davidson in India, Fall 2010
- Participated in semester-long immersive program on Indian religion, history and thought based at Madras Christian College outside Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Pembroke-Kings Programme, Summer 2010
Studied and lived at Kings College, Cambridge University, taking courses in development economics, behavioral ecology and history and sociology of British sport
WALT 1610 AM, 2010-2012
Programming & Events Chair, 2011-2012
- Managed music festivals featuring 4 student bands, 4 outside performers
- Revitalized technical capacities (including live performances, streaming, and listener tracking)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, summers 2009-2011
Intern, Global Security (Q Clearance, 2010)
- Compiled database of commercially available components of weapons of mass destruction, with a specialty in biologics
- Designed methodologies and data architectures for querying database for various use cases
Environmental Action Coalition, 2008-2012
President, 2009-2010
- Managed a $7K budget and 25 member team on 12+ projects
- Ran “Do It In the Dark†electricity-saving program and “Green Ball†dance fundraisers
- Launched a local food cart and spun off Food Club
- Initiated conversations about fossil fuel divestment
Dean Rusk Lecture Series, 2008-2009
- Researched speakers for lectures on energy security
Spectrum of Science, LLC, summer 2008
- Designed and built science education kits for K-8
- Classroom assistance as necessary
Skills
Spanish (conversational), German (beginner), French (beginner)
HTML/CSS, Markup, Drupal, Python, JavaScript (basic)
AP style, copyediting, fact-checking, interviewing
Audio recording and editing (Logic), videography (Final Cut)
Organizing (Midwest Academy, Training for Trainers)
Mailchimp, Salesforce, Microsoft Office
Familiarity with statistics, macroeconomics
Awards & Honors
Franz Boas Award, Davidson College Anthropology Department, 2012
Runner-up, Charles E. Lloyd Award for Nonfiction, 2012
Omicron Delta Kappa (campus leadership)
Phi Beta Kappa (academics)
Phi Beta Delta (international studies)
Davidson College Nominee to Luce (2012, 2018) and Marshall (2012) Scholarships
Eagle Scout