Beth A. Viola is senior policy advisor with Holland & Knight. Ms. Viola's practice areas include energy and environmental consulting, trade, appropriations and public relations. The primary focus of her practice is working with business leaders to advance effective climate change strategies that create economic and environmental benefit. In addition she is the principle advisor for a number of corporations, communities, organizations and tribal clients providing messaging and crisis communications support.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Viola served as a senior advisor to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In this capacity, she served as a senior member of a team responsible for advising the president and the vice president on environmental and energy issues. While in the White House, she concentrated on a number of policy issues including climate change, natural resources and smart growth. She served as the primary White House liaison on these issues to elected officials, industry, environmental, religious and labor leaders as well as the media. During the last year of her tenure, she was one of Vice President Gore's chief environmental advisors and served as a senior policy advisor to him during his presidential campaign. She also served as a senior advisor for energy and environmental policy with the John Kerry for President and the Kerry-Edwards campaigns.
Ms. Viola is also a former congressional staff member for U.S. Representatives John Edward Porter of Illinois and Claudine Schneider of Rhode Island.
Ms. Viola has served as a facilitator for climate change discussions at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2006 and 2007.