Renewable Energy Specialist Dan Fitzgerald Joins Behan Communications, Inc.

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Dan Fitzgerald has joined the public affairs firm Behan Communications, Inc., as a senior project manager

ALBANY, NY (04/23/2013)(readMedia)-- Dan Fitzgerald, a leader in the development and siting of renewable energy projects in the Northeast, has joined the public affairs firm Behan Communications, Inc., as a senior project manager.

Fitzgerald previously worked for EDP Renewables, formerly Horizon Wind Energy, where he managed a cross-disciplinary team of environmental, legal, meteorological, engineering and finance professionals in the development of wind farm projects in Maine and New York. He oversaw development of the 215 MW Marble River Wind Farm in Clinton County, New York.

At Behan Communications, he will provide strategic communications, public affairs strategy and crisis communications support to the firm's energy and environmental clients and will be based in Behan's Albany, N.Y., office.

"Dan has the strategic and tactical experience to help our clients successfully develop major energy projects," said Mark L. Behan, President and CEO of Behan Communications. "His ability to analyze and effectively communicate complex issues, and to build relationships with various stakeholders based on credibility and trust, has helped him achieve great results."

Fitzgerald, a "40 Under Forty" honoree by the Business Review of Albany in 2009, started his professional career with MapInfo, the international mapping and location software company that at the time was in its infancy in Troy, N.Y. He rose through the ranks to project manager before a two-year stint in New Orleans as director of documentation for JRL Enterprises. He returned to the Capital Region to rejoin MapInfo before moving to Horizon Wind Energy/EDP Renewables, where he served as lead spokesperson, negotiator and representative for wind projects with landowners, permitting agencies, industrial development agencies and governmental bodies at the local, state and federal levels.

"I enjoy the challenge of clarifying information in a way that helps people understand and make informed decisions about matters of personal or public importance," Fitzgerald said. "When we can articulate a position based on facts and contribute to an atmosphere in which issues are decided on their merits, I have found that the process generally produces a fair and reasonable outcome."

Fitzgerald graduated from the University at Albany, where he majored in English.

Behan Communications, now in its 25th year, specializes in environmental, energy and crisis communications, public affairs and strategic communications with strong practices in the manufacturing, energy, financial and non-profit sectors. The firm has received more than 145 industry awards in the last 10 years.

With offices in Albany and Glens Falls, Behan Communications was the Capital Region's leading public relations firm by billings in 2012, according to data compiled by the Business Review.