Reno: 775.673.7465
Reno Fax: 775.673.7421
Las Vegas: 702.862.5409
Las Vegas Fax: 702.862.5496
Cell: 775.741.3648
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Greg Bortolin is the director of communications and government affairs. He is a registered lobbyist in the Nevada Legislature and the Desert Research Institute’s point of contact with Nevada’s Congressional delegation. Reporting directly to President Stephen Wells, he also oversees DRI’s media, marketing and outreach activities.

Greg was instrumental in working with Dr. Wells to secure funding through State Senator Randolph Townsend and U.S. Senator Harry Reid that has resulted in $7 million in federal support for renewable energy programs at DRI and the Nevada System of Higher Education. He headed up DRI’s communications efforts in the $10 million Walker Basin research project with the University of Nevada, Reno. He was also instrumental in preserving DRI’s historic cloud seeding program, which required new funding sources when state appropriations ended.

In an effort to establish a marketing and branding effort at DRI, Bortolin reorganized the institute’s communications office to establish dedicated full-time public information officer and webmaster positions. In 2009, Bortolin coordinated a year-long celebration of DRI’s 50^th Anniversary celebration, which received national media attention in addition to the creation of a commemorative history. The celebration culminated with Dr. Robert Ballard of Titanic fame being named the recipient of the Nevada Medal. With the support of NV Energy, Bortolin oversees DRI’s GreenPower program, which has been reorganized to help provide Nevada’s K-12 teachers a curriculum that meets the state’s science standards requirements. The GreenPower program is in the process of reinstating DRI’s science box program with “Green Boxes” that will be available to schools throughout Nevada.

Bortolin came to DRI in 2006 after spending four years as Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn’s director of communications and press secretary. He developed a communications plan for the Governor and coordinated the Governor’s media- and public-relations efforts during two legislative regular sessions and five special sessions.

Bortolin organized and created a Joint Information Center within the Department of Emergency Management that included public information officers from throughout Nevada. He also spearheaded an effort to install a satellite uplink in the capitol’s press room.

Prior to his stint in the Office of the Governor, Bortolin spent five years as the assistant director of communications and manager of media relations at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he served as the university’s spokesman. He coordinated the university’s media relations, managed its homepage and Web content, and oversaw the creative services division.  Bortolin helped plan, research and edit “Legacy, 100 years of Athletics at the University of Nevada.” He was twice elected to the Faculty Senate, was a member of the Nevada Silver & Blue alumni magazine editorial board, the Reynolds School of Journalism Advisory Board and a member of the Nevada Wolf Pack Hall of Fame Committee.

Bortolin has earned  a Bachelor’s in Journalism in 1986 and a Master’s in Education in 2011 from the University of Nevada, Reno. He spent 10 years working for newspapers as a sports editor, sports copy editor, columnist and reporter. He spent eight years at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was a sports columnist for the Nevada Appeal in Carson City, Nev., worked as a stringer for Sports Illustrated, and had Nevada’s only Associated Press College Football Poll vote. He began his newspaper career as a sports writer at The Union in Grass Valley, Calif., and had a brief stint as the sports editor of the Roseville Press-Tribune, also in California.