Beyond the Blue Bubble: Building Civic Action in Red States
Joe Kennedy, President of Citizens Energy
Tuesday, May 5, at 1 p.m. via Zoom
Bio: A former U.S. Congressman, Special Envoy, legal aid volunteer, and assistant district attorney, Joe Kennedy III brings a wealth of experience across public service, diplomacy, law, and advocacy. Joe currently serves as President of Citizens Energy; a diversified renewable energy non-profit organisation committed to making clean energy more accessible and affordable. Since its founding in 1979, Citizens Energy has provided over $600 million in charitable benefits, helping low-income families and disadvantaged communities meet essential needs, including assistance with utility bills.He is also the founder of the Groundwork Project, a political advocacy organisation focused on supporting community organising in historically under-resourced and disenfranchised regions of the United States.
From 2022 to 2024, Joe was appointed by President Joe Biden as the U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, a diplomatic role aimed at promoting economic opportunity and sustaining the U.S. commitment to peace, prosperity, and stability in the region.
Joe represented Massachusetts’ 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021, where he was a strong advocate for civil rights and economic equity. Prior to his election to Congress, he served as an Assistant District Attorney and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.
Born in Boston, Joe earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. He is married to Lauren Birchfield Kennedy, and together they have two young children, Eleanor and James.