Jeff Hawk

In the past 20 years I've led an odd and wonderful professional life in strategic communications, journalism and issues management. It has exposed me to the richness of public service, the devastation of war and disaster, and the importance of honesty, transparency and engagement. I've enjoyed the trust and confidence of four-star generals in command of America's longest war and grunts on the battlefield of war-torn Baghdad; at-risk youths in Texas and homeless survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. I've taught media relations to high-ranking government officials in Serbia and to tentative structural engineers at troubled dams; I've walked with the dark sands of Iwo Jima with WWII vets and the dirty roads of Kandahar with Afghan wounded warriors. I've truly learned the value of service, integrity, and honor. I've learned to listen for things that don't seem right, pay attention to those anomalies, explore them and then act when appropriate to address them. I've learned that I fit well into a mission-oriented environment where people are working to do good and that I can apply my learned and innate skills to influence the policies, actions and culture of large and small organizations. As I end a successful tour in Afghanistan representing US Forces, I stand ready for my next challenge.