DALLAS – June 6, 2022 –
North Texas-based strategic communications firm Cooksey Communications today added Tom Bryson to its team as vice president and Public Sector Practice leader. Bryson will draw on nearly four decades of journalism and municipal communications experience to advise Cooksey’s public sector clients on stakeholder communications and engagement best practices.
“Tom’s extensive background in local government communications, coupled with his demonstrated leadership abilities in the industry’s premier professional organizations, makes him an ideal candidate to lead our growing Public Sector Practice,” said Colby Walton, chairman and CEO of Cooksey Communications. “Tom brings invaluable, hands-on experience and connections with peers across Texas and nationwide, further bolstering our ability to provide city clients and other public sector organizations with clear, confident counsel and meaningful support.”
Before joining Cooksey, Bryson had an over three-decade career in municipal communications, serving for nine years as the community information administrator for the City of Duncanville and 22 years as the director of communications for the City of Farmers Branch. During his tenure at Farmers Branch, Bryson and his team were recognized more than 55 times with awards on the local, state and national levels. Previously, Bryson also worked as a local newspaper reporter.
“It is with a great deal of gratitude that I am excited to join the dynamic team at Cooksey Communications,” said Bryson. “The reputation of this agency and the quality of their work speak volumes in terms of their commitment to their clients. I am thrilled to be joining this team and, in some way, continue to serve the public sector that has been so good to me.”
He is a past president of the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) and the national City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA). In 2016, 3CMA recognized Bryson as the national Communicator of the Year, and in 2020, TAMIO bestowed upon him its highest individual honor, the Cheryl A. Soward Communicator of Distinction. A seasoned public speaker, Bryson regularly presents at state and national conferences on topics such as internal communications, media relations, First Amendment auditor awareness and more.
A New Orleans native, Bryson received his bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Louisiana State University. He is a founding member of the Advisory Board of the Certified Public Communicator program at Texas Christian University, where he also serves on the adjunct faculty and is an alumnus of its original cohort.
About Cooksey Communications
Founded in 1994, Cooksey Communications is a Texas-based, strategic communications firm specializing in public stakeholder issues-related communications for government/economic development, transportation, water, energy and education clients, and strategic communications for professional services, real estate/development, retail/hospitality/consumer and nonprofit clients. Cooksey repeatedly has been named one of the top public relations agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by the Dallas Business Journal. For more information, visit www.CookseyPR.com.
