New West Communications

Activities

New West Communications is a public affairs and communications firm located in Texas focused on the issues of energy, public education, health care, water policy, and Texas Capitol advocacy. This includes supporting the “energy transition” by telling stories to show the benefits of moving away from conventional fuels to weather-dependent energy technologies like solar power. The firm states it is comprised of journalists, advisors, political operatives, and communications professionals who have worked in state government and higher education for both Republicans and Democrats. ^{4 3}

Clients

Current and former clients of New West Communications include American Property Casualty Insurance Association; TALA; the Texas Taxpayer and Research Association; the University of Texas at Austin; the University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences; the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School; Texas 2036; the Texas School Alliance;  the Texas Energy Buyers Alliance; the Ohio State University;vthe Advanced Power Alliance; Wellpoint; Eanes Westlake; the DePelchin Children’s Center; Leander ISD; the Texas School Coalition; the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation; the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Committee; the Texas State University System; the University of Texas at San Antonio; the Teachers College at Columbia University; University of Houston School of Public Affairs; Princeton Hillel; Emory University; the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; Boundless Israel; PSEO, the Texas Health Benefit Pool; the Texas Public Employees Association; and AFSCME Chapter 12. ⁵

Leadership

As of 2026, New West Communications was led by co-founders Jason Embry and Steve Scheibal. Embry previously worked as communications director for former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, a Republican who held the speakership from 2009 to 2019 and was known for moderate positions that frequently aligned with Democratic priorities on issues including public education funding. Before joining Rep. Straus’s staff, Embry worked for 15 years as a newspaper reporter, including as the Austin American-Statesman‘s capitol bureau chief and lead political writer.  ^{2  6  7}

Steve Scheibal has worked in communications as a reporter, legislative staffer, institutional communications director, and consultant. Before co-founding New West Communications, Scheibal was the director of media and community relations for the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to that , Scheibal was the policy and communications director for former Texas State Senator Kirk Watson, a Democrat who represented an Austin-area district and later was the Mayor of Austin.  ^{8 9}

As of 2026, Scheibal was on the board of directors of the Texas Impact Education Fund, a left-of-center faith-based advocacy organization that lobbies the Texas Legislature on issues including environmental policy, gun control, public education funding, and weather-dependent energy mandates. The Texas Impact Education Fund is the 501(c)(3) educational affiliate of Texas Impact, a 501(c)(4) lobbying organization. ¹