Morrow Cater

Morrow Cater gives a talk "Bridging the Partisan Divide over Climate" at TED conference in February 2013

Morrow Cater is an award-winning documentary producer and the founding principal of Cater Communications, a bipartisan communications and public policy firm.^[1]

Cater Communications

Founded in 2003, Cater Communications specializes in working across party lines to tackle some of the nation’s biggest challenges.

Cater and her team of award-winning journalists, former political appointees, writers and media relations professionals have designed and executed successful communication campaigns across the country.^[2] These include leading key elements of the No on 23 campaign, which defended California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32)^[3] from a recall effort, winning more votes than any other ballot measure or candidate anywhere in the nation on Election Day, 2010. Other projects include running a media campaign with consumers, veterans, and business leaders to raise fuel economy standards to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025; and working with CNA’s Military Advisory Board to produce and release major reports on the national security ramifications of climate and energy.^[4]

A recognized expert on climate and clean energy politics, Cater was selected to give a TED talk in 2013.^[5] Bursting Bubbles focused on her work bridging the partisan divide on climate and energy.^[6]

Cater Communications is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in Washington, DC; Sacramento, CA; Atlanta, GA and Knoxville, TN.

Journalism career

For more than a decade, Cater produced films for ABC News and PBS Frontline.^[7] Her awards include an Emmy^[8] and the DuPont-Columbia Award^[9] for excellence in broadcast journalism, as well as awards given by the San Francisco and Chicago international film festivals and the American Film and Video Association. Earlier in her career, Cater worked as a reporter at The National Journal and The Anniston Star (AL), and served as Deputy Press Secretary for Timothy E. Wirth’s two campaigns for the U.S. Congress.^[10]

Education

Cater graduated with honors from Harvard University in 1981. She holds an A.B degree in Political Theory and Religion. While an undergraduate, she worked at the Kennedy School of Government.

Personal life

Born in Washington, D.C., Morrow Cater is the daughter of Douglass Cater, a journalist, author, educator and special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Libby Anderson Cater Halaby, a native Alabamian who was elected the University of Alabama’s first female student body president in 1944.

As Special Assistant to the President on Health, Education and Welfare, Douglass Cater played an instrumental role in the passage of the legislation that established federal aid to education as a national norm and in the creation of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).^[11] He later served as president of Washington College in Chestertown, Md. He died in 1995.^[12]

The Anderson Society, an honors student organization at the University of Alabama, is named after Cater’s mother, Libby.^[13] After her husband’s death, she married Najeeb Halaby. Libby Anderson Cater Halaby was the honored guest speaker at the University of Alabama’s graduation ceremony in 2011.

Cater and her husband, Peter Scheer, have four children and live in San Rafael, CA. Scheer is executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit public interest organization dedicated to advancing free speech, more open and accountable government, and public participation in civic affairs.

References