The Communications Team

EERE Web Enterprise Manager

The EERE web enterprise manager, Christina Stowers, manages the EERE website, including changes to the EERE corporate-level sites. The Enterprise Manager also oversees the Web Governance Team (WGT) that approves new applications, domain requests, template designs, and navigation. The EERE web enterprise manager represents EERE in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) web council and manages the work of EERE web contractors.

EERE Web System Administrator

The web system administrator, Alex Clayborne, manages the EERE websites hosted in the EERE centralized web hosting environment and works with DOE's public affairs staff in managing the content management system (CMS) that runs DOE's website, Energy.gov. Alex and his team also assist the web coordinators and their lead contractors with requesting domain names from DOE's Office of the Chief Information Officer. Alex advises the EERE enterprise manager and WGT on effective technical solutions for the EERE enterprise. 

The EERE Offices

Technology Office Director

Each technology office director is accountable for approving all new sites, redesigns, and special domain requests. They are also responsible for assigning a web coordinator to their respective website.

Web Coordinators

Every major program represented on the EERE site has a web coordinator who is responsible for overseeing all digital activities in his or her office. Web coordinators also manage the day-to-day changes and office website maintenance. They include both DOE employees and contractors. Web coordinators have the following responsibilities to:

  • Monitor and update their office websites.
  • Inform the WGT of new projects at the concept stage before any site development occurs.
  • Ensure that the program director reviews and approves all new sites, redesigns, applications, and URL requests.
  • Provide guidance to and direct web project teams to the correct resources.
  • Guide office staff and contractors in required maintenance tasks.
  • Report total program website expenditures for annual budget reporting as part of EERE congressional budget preparation.
  • Share best practices.
  • Attend EERE web coordinator meetings.

The Web Governance Team

EERE's WGT reviews and approves all new EERE web projects, redesigns, and user-experience projects. The WGT also has the final approval to send all web projects live.

The team is made up of key individuals from the EERE communications team, including:

  • Christina Stowers, EERE web enterprise manager
  • Allison Hartfiel, EERE communications liaison 
  • Brian Szabelski, EERE communications standards 
  • Karl Chan, Accenture federal services technical lead 
  • Billie Bates, WGT facilitator 
  • David Crouch, technical consultant 
  • Shaida Beklik, cybersecurity 
  • Rowena Clemente, cybersecurity.

Web Governance Team Facilitator

The web governance team facilitator is the liaison between the WGT and the website project team. The facilitator is also responsible for managing the WGT's documentation.

WGT Roles and Responsibilities

The WGT ensures that EERE's websites meet organizational policies, goals, user needs, branding and content standards, and technical requirements. It also makes certain that all federal and DOE website policies are being followed.

The WGT works closely with web project teams to help them navigate requirements and approvals so they can have a successful project.

When the project is completed, the WGT reviews it and provides final go-live approval. All EERE web projects must be approved before they can be sent live.

The WGT meets via Microsoft Teams every Thursday at 8 a.m. Mountain Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time). Contact the WGT facilitator before noon on Wednesday to get on that week's schedule.

Teams should plan to meet with the WGT at least three times.

The WGT reviews:

  • New websites or subsites (nested groups) or content types in Energy.gov
  • Web applications, mobile apps, native mobile apps, widgets, scripts, or special features
  • Redesigns of existing websites and applications, including redesigns on Energy.gov
  • New websites, tools or apps that labs or third parties develop to be hosted outside of Energy.gov, including partnership sites, conference sites or competition sites.
  • User-experience projects, such as surveys or user experience studies.

The WGT does not review everyday maintenance work; web coordinators do not need the WGT's approval to add or delete content on EERE office websites. To add new navigation to a website, please send requests directly to the EERE template coordinator.

If unsure if a project needs to be brought to the WGT, ask the WGT facilitator.

Web Project Process and Approvals

All EERE-funded websites, redesigns, and user experience projects must follow WGT and Communication Standards guidance. This includes lab-developed websites that use EERE funding from the EERE technology offices.

PLEASE NOTE: All new website requests will be denied until after the energy.gov redesign is launched. If you need an exception to this guidance, have the federal project lead contact Liz Penniman directly.

What Is the Process?

Before beginning work, meet with the WGT who will provide guidance for the project.

Email the following to the WGT facilitator before the concept meeting:

  • Domains and URLs, including marketing URLs or redirects, and justification for .org or .net sites (instead of .gov). All projects must be hosted in Energy.gov's Drupal environment unless DOE Public Affairs gives written approval. Rare exceptions apply for White House initiatives, congressional issues, or partnership efforts. For such sites, WGT is the communication facilitator between Public Affairs and the project team.
  • Technical requirements or features (e.g., public uploads, password-protection, forms, or databases).
  • Any interactive elements (e.g., graphics or maps).
  • Whether your site is an application that may require use of the EERE template.
  • Data collection from public or government sources like Data.gov, Energy.data.gov, or OpenEI.org.
  • Personally identifiable information (PII); if so, you may need to fill out a privacy impact assessment.

Note: For user-centered design projects, such as a survey or card sort, complete the user-centered design project information form and send it to the WGT facilitator.

  • Write a charter: Download EERE's project charter template. Submit the project charter to the WGT. Do this before beginning any work on the project.
    • Note: User-centered design projects do not require a project charter. The WGT may ask for the results.
  • Submit a privacy impact assessment if needed: If the project involves PII, fill out an E-Authentication Risk Assessment form or Privacy Impact Assessment and submit it to the WGT.
  • Call into a WGT meeting: Schedule a meeting with the WGT facilitator. The WGT will review the charter or may provide comments via email. The WGT must approve the charter before the project continues.

In this phase, complete the content to determine the final site architecture.

  • Write content, following the EERE Style Guide: Use the web writing guidelines to ensure that the content meets the standards for elements such as headers, intro text, subheaders, photo captions, and alt text.
  • Create the information architecture: Develop your information architecture (also known as website navigation). See Website Navigation Labels and Approval for guidance on navigation. The WGT may ask you to use the EERE application template.
  • Send your final information architecture for review: Submit final information architecture to the web template coordinator for review and approval. They may ask for changes before the architecture is approved.
  • Provide monthly updates via email to the WGT facilitator.

Below are the basic steps for developing the website.

  • If you're creating a website on Energy.gov and need a new subsite (nested group), request that a site coordinator create it.
  • Work with your lead contractor to create your website. Provide monthly updates via email to the WGT facilitator.

Go through a quality assurance and program review before it goes live.

  • Schedule security scans as needed: Applications not hosted on the central EERE infrastructure require a security scan.
  • Perform a program review: If the EERE office requires internal reviews, schedule them. Make changes based on the feedback.
  • Get approval to go live from the WGT: Schedule your final meeting with the WGT facilitator. The WGT must give approval before the site goes live. Provide your final URL.

During this phase, keep the content up to date, track website statistics, assess user feedback, and plan for future changes. Learn more about maintenance requirements.

Keep the website up to date and relevant.

Make sure you communicate to the WGT how long you need your domain name. Report maintenance activities to the WGT in June and December.