Q&A with Daniel Jones, marketing and communications manager

DG+ is excited to welcome Daniel Jones to the team as marketing and communications manager. Daniel will be designing marketing strategies, working on media placements, and delivering on other communications needs for our clients in the cleantech industry. He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m from Kansas City. I’m a Midwesterner at heart and I love barbecue. I initially wanted to be a soccer player when I was a kid, but then I found my passion for writing and that eventually pushed me into journalism. I remember actually enjoying writing assignments and doing really well on them. I wrote for a newspaper and then found my way into the renewable energy industry by working at GRID Alternatives. There, I learned a ton about the importance of environmental justice, energy equity, and community-based solutions. That experience has guided my career path toward renewable energy. I want to help make these solutions more accessible to everybody.

Where did your interest in the environment come from?

I spent a lot of time playing sports as a kid, which got me outside. I've always appreciated the environment, but it wasn't until I moved to Washington, D.C. in 2019 that I gained a much clearer understanding of environmental inequities: how underserved communities are often more polluted, how there are fewer green spaces near underserved communities, and how they’re often excluded from renewable energy solutions that could make a difference. That ignited my interest in environmentalism and the importance of renewable energy, especially for those who live in historically under-resourced neighborhoods.

Why did you choose to work at DG+?

I was really excited to join the DG+ team. I shouldn't say that in the past tense, I'm still really excited to be working here! I connect with the company values and how the agency is very intentional about selecting its clients.

I’ve worked in renewable energy, marketing, and journalism. When I saw the opportunity to join DG+, I immediately recognized that this role would allow me to leverage my skill set as a writer and a marketer, working towards creating a cleaner, more sustainable future; a true combination of everything that I’ve done, while taking me in the direction of where I want to go professionally. Working here means merging new ideas with my past experiences.

Every interaction that I’ve had since joining the company has reaffirmed my desire to want to work here.

What do you hope to accomplish or learn?

I hope to learn more about different sectors of cleantech. I'm interested in learning about electric vehicles, smart cities, and the whole mix of renewable energy sources. I’m keen to understand how that mix of solutions is going to vary region by region, according to local climate or energy needs. While at DG+, I want to provide my talents to the companies that are actively working towards these goals and making a difference. I can’t wait to get started on crafting campaigns that will expand electric vehicle adoption, communicate the benefits of solar energy, and promote environmental justice initiatives.

What motivates or inspires you?

I'm inspired by ideas, by people, and how those two concepts work together. 

I love developing new ideas. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy writing so much. Finding new ways of engaging with people inspires me, especially when it involves learning about other people's journeys, what challenges they’ve overcome, or what particular strengths they have. I've always been eager to help people achieve their goals or recognize untapped potential.

What is something you’re passionate about outside of work?

I've traveled much more frequently as I’ve gotten older. It’s helped me to understand how interconnected we all are. I grew up in the Midwest. It's my home, but it wasn’t until I moved away that I realized how similar everyone is on this planet. Each of us is born into a corner of the world thinking that our specific set of challenges and goals are unique, when in reality, we’re all extremely similar. One day, I hope to make it to every continent. 

Oh, and I love reading. Particularly biographies and new fiction.

Tell us something “off-brand” or maybe unexpected about yourself.

I'm really into earthen architecture, and someday I'd love to build earthen homes for myself and others. Earlier this year, I attended a workshop in Tennessee on how to build with cob, straw clay, and rammed earth. Adobe is next on the list. Building with earthen materials has tons of environmental benefits: its carbon footprint is almost non-existent, it's excellent for regulating indoor temperature in warm/hot environments, and it filters pollution and allergens from entering the home. Earthen buildings are also fireproof and well-suited to withstand earthquakes. In North America, we're so used to building stick-framed homes that earthen homes seem not just weird but impractical. (Yes, they can have electricity and plumbing. No, they won't fall down in a storm.) A third of the world's population lives in homes built from soil, and humans have been building them for thousands of years. I believe earthen homes could serve the growing number of people looking for more sustainable and more affordable housing.

What person (dead or alive) do you most look up to?

I look up to Harry Truman. I really appreciate his values. He is the only president from Missouri, so I feel like I understand him because that's where I'm from. As an army captain in World War I, he was assigned to lead a notoriously troublesome battery. They came to appreciate him so much that after the war they gave him a trophy. The trust and respect he earned from his peers and juniors says a lot about who he was as a person.

I was surprised to learn that a president of the United States could be so humble. I subscribe to Truman’s philosophy that “it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

Is there anything else we should know about you?

I'm happy to start a conversation with anybody who's interested! Reach out.