• Thomas Graham
    Thomas Graham
    President & CEO
  • Mac Walker
    Mac Walker
    Vice President, Media Strategy
  • April Dang
    April Dang
    General Manager
  • Robert Durand
    Robert Durand
    Vice President, Communications
  • Chris Talley
    Chris Talley
    Senior Advisor
  • JT Graham
    JT Graham
    Director of Digital Strategies
  • Randall Whalin
    Randall Whalin
    Vice President, Creative Services
  • Charles R. Smith
    Charles R. Smith
    Senior Advisor
  • Adam Beckner
    Adam Beckner
    Digital Content Specialist
  • Aurora Silva
    Aurora Silva
    Account Executive
  • Brittany Reed
    Brittany Reed
    Account Coordinator
  • Tom Goff
    Tom Goff
    Strategic Corporate Counsel
  • Jonathan Taylor
    Jonathan Taylor
    Senior Advisor, Economic Development
  • Tammy Ditmore
    Tammy Ditmore
    Corporate Editor
  • Windy the Wonder Horse
    Windy the Wonder Horse
Thomas Graham
President & CEO

A native of South Texas, born in Corpus Christi, Texas, the sparkling City By The Sea. Thomas Graham is the founder of Crosswind Media & Public Relations and for more than 20 years has helped business leaders energize their brands and achieve their business objectives through effective media and corporate communications strategies. He is an accomplished brand architect, crisis-tested media spokesperson and an expert in shaping public opinion and managing complex communications programs.

As the former head of U.S. communications for a top 10 global financial institution and practice leader in two global public relations firms, Thomas brings decades of experience helping business leaders engage effectively with their most important stakeholders. He founded Crosswind Media & Public Relations to provide clients with experienced senior counselors who are committed to helping navigate communications challenges to achieve business results. Thomas has been privileged to develop global brand strategies, direct communications of large-scale acquisitions and to prepare senior executives at Fortune 500 companies for media interviews, investor and analyst roundtable discussions and presentations before business conferences and to employees.

As the Executive Vice President of Communication & Image at BBVA USA, Thomas developed the brand strategy for BBVA Group’s U.S.-acquired financial institutions while protecting the overarching brand reputation from the issues associated with acquisition, integration and financial industry crises. While serving on the management committee, he held primary oversight of branding, investor relations, corporate communications, employee communications and executive programs. Prior to BBVA, Thomas served as a General Manager with Weber Shandwick, the world’s largest public relations agency, where he directed the firm’s Austin office.

During his 20 years of public relations, Thomas gained extensive experience in political and regulatory issues, corporate communications, brand strategy, investor relations, crisis and reputation management and media relations. His clients have included leaders in their fields and among the world’s most admired companies, including Fluor, Wal-Mart, the Project Management Institute, Atmos Energy, NRG Energy, the Texas House Republican Caucus, Vought Aircraft and The Methodist Hospital. He is a former business reporter covering local, regional and national trends in business, financial, agricultural, oil and gas and industrial sectors as well as a former communications director for a Texas State Senator. He serves on the boards of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and The Texas Advocacy Project. He is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute, the Public Relations Society of America, active in communications organizations, and a frequent lecturer on communications issues before students, non-profit, governmental and business associations. He is married to Tanya Fielder and they have three children.

Mac Walker
Vice President, Media Strategy

Mac Walker provides media and strategic communications counsel to Crosswind’s energy, healthcare, technology and government clients. He is passionate about helping people with different political ideologies connect on important issues through effective communications and story-telling.

Mac previously worked for Governor Greg Abbott as his Deputy Press Secretary and a primary spokesperson for the Governor’s office. During this time, Mac was responsible for the Governor’s media releases, media engagement and query responses, and social media. Most recently, Mac served as the communications associate for a national education policy consultancy, where he directed all internal and external communications and was directly responsible for highlighting the company’s work online and in the media.

Born and raised in Florida, Mac earned his bachelor’s degree from Rollins College in political science and communications. He was a Division 2 student-athlete and team captain, as well as actively involved on campus. Outside of work, Mac enjoys playing golf, watching sports, and spending time with friends and family.

April Dang
General Manager

April Dang is Crosswind’s General Manager, bringing to the agency 20 years of experience in team and project management leadership and consulting, spent principally in global finance and banking. She has extensive experience in navigating high-profile staff and clients through fast-changing market challenges and she is an accomplished crisis responder with a history of team leadership in sales, marketing, credit underwriting, and audit. In addition to her foundational roles, Dang oversees agency operations, manages project execution, directs team performance of a talented pool of marketing professionals across the company’s Texas offices, and monitors financial strategies and profitability. She has deep international roots with proud Jamaican, Chinese, and British bloodlines. April and her four siblings began working at age 16 to put themselves through university and have since gone on to careers in a variety of industries including accounting, engineering, art design, banking, and marketing. April herself, a varsity athlete in high school and a member of the African American Caribbean Students Association at the University of Toronto, graduated with a bachelor’s degree, majoring in psychology. She met her husband, currently an engineer for Austin-based Dell, in 1993 – across the net on the U of T volleyball court. April and her sons have been deeply committed volunteer members of the Texas-based Young Men’s Service League that sets mothers and sons to a common and local philanthropic project during high school years. She has taken on many board positions in this organization. Her passion for volleyball also lives on and she can be often found as the most animated fan in the stands at historic Gregory Gym on the nearby UT Austin campus where her equally-aggressive Longhorn spikers were this year the Number 1 women’s team in the nation.

Robert Durand
Vice President, Communications

For nearly 30 years, Rear Admiral Robert Durand has been entrusted to lead teams, deliver results and provide key strategic insight at the nation’s highest and most critical levels, providing counsel to CEOs, CMOs and four-star combatant commanders. Robert recently retired from the U.S. Navy as Vice Chief of Information and he now provides strategic media and spokesperson services to clients of Crosswind Media and Public Relations.

As the senior reserve public affairs officer in the Navy, Robert led 500 Navy Reserve public affairs professionals and mass communication specialists who provide communication support to the Navy worldwide for events, exercises and combat operations. His command was the equivalent of a major marketing agency’s global workforce with supervision over media relations, crisis communication, strategic messaging, multimedia production, organizational communication and executive positioning.

In his civilian career, Robert has led corporate communications at five venture-funded high-technology companies, from early stage-startups to private equity turnarounds. He has taken four startups from invisibility to market prominence, resulting in two $400M+ acquisitions, and has also led public relations at a global cybersecurity company through a $2B acquisition, merger, and global rebranding effort.

He translates complex technology into the words, ideas and images that excite customers, investors, employees and partners.

A native of Lakewood, Colorado, Robert was commissioned in 1988 after graduating from the U.S.   Naval Academy. He was deployed to the Red Sea in support of Operation Desert Storm, was mobilized twice to serve as director of public affairs, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, and was recalled to active duty from 2009-2012 as director of Public Affairs for the Chief of Navy Reserve at the Pentagon.

Robert counts the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and various service and campaign awards as symbols of homage to his service.

Chris Talley
Senior Advisor

As one of Crosswind’s senior advisors, Chris Talley offers client and account staff leadership and support, drawing on 35 years of vast communication and PR experience in leading roles inside of FORTUNE 100 companies and at one of the world’s most prestigious public relations firms, FleishmanHillard (FH).

Chris has led communication programs, provided CEO/C-suite and counsel, and delivered results from the front row, heading teams at USAA, AT&T, Lockheed Martin, and dozens of other top brands. Chris’s corporate career culminated as SVP & Chief Communications Officer for USAA, America’s leading financial services company focused on the U.S. military community.

Today, he leads Talley Communication Strategies and provides senior communication and expert counsel for Crosswind Media & Public Relations, Integral Communications, and Hawksbill Group. He also is a senior advisor for Encore Leadership Advisors.

For these clients and through his career Chris has been responsible for communications strategy, media and community relations, reputation management, board of directors and regulatory communications, military and sponsorship communications, crisis planning, and engagement with employees and external stakeholders.

The vast majority of Chris’s work has been anchored throughout the Texas Hill Country and Houston. Rising to FH senior partner and SVP, Chris served as general manager of three separate offices, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. He joined FH from Houston’s Churchill Group and before spent five years in public affairs at Lockheed Martin.

Highly active in giving back, volunteering in the community and devoting time speaking at colleges across the country, supporting students seeking careers in communication.

Chris is chair and board member of the Hemisfair Conservancy. He serves on several other boards including, Alamo Area Council (Boy Scouts), Endeavors, San Antonio Medical Foundation, and for Baylor University Journalism, PR & New Media. He is a trustee for the Institute for Public Relations and was a member of PAGE, the world’s leading association for senior communicators.

Chris earned a journalism degree from Baylor University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

JT Graham
Director of Digital Strategies

JT Graham coordinates design, programming, enhancement and content of client websites and web-based services for Crosswind.

JT works directly with state and global clients to assess social media needs and then identifies and delivers appropriate internet technologies to best meet client objectives and to best support implementation and on-line maintenance. He is also an accomplished producer of audio and video services created and directed to support client special events.

JT Graham has always had a love for Texas music, rhythm, and entertainment technologies. After attending Dub Academy in East Austin during high school, he has been DJing professionally at events since early 2012. In fall 2012, he attended Harding University for communications and media, where he was a live radio host for Harding Radio, and in fall 2013, he attended Dark Horse Institute for Audio Engineering in Nashville. In addition to managing the marketing and social media for his own music career, JT has worked at Vector Marketing and interned at Crosswind Media & Public Relations.

He rejoined the Crosswind team full time in August 2014, and now assists with event production, handles the firm’s IT, manages the agency and client websites, and oversees the agency’s digital strategies across the web.

Randall Whalin
Vice President, Creative Services
Randall Whalin is a native Texan and award-winning marketing professional.  He is a recognized “message master” with a fondness for bringing to market and to national media attention the most obscure and esoteric products and services.
 
He has also been responsible for managing and serving on creative teams promoting some of the world’s most prominent and high-profile mainstream brands, including Wal-Mart, National Football League, Major League Baseball, Volvo/Mack Trucks, ESPN, and Fox Business Channel.
 

Randall is an accomplished documentary producer who has conducted in-depth, on-camera interviews with President George Bush, First Lady, Laura Bush, and MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. Randall sports two of the strongest wrists in Texas and has competed aggressively in the U.S. Open of Table Tennis.  Being from rural Texas, he is also a formidable cow-chipping expert, always happy to offer tips on proper ‘chip grip’ techniques for fellow chip-pitch enthusiasts.  And yes, he always washes his hands thoroughly before business meetings.

Charles R. Smith
Senior Advisor

Charles is President/CEO for Charles R. Smith Consulting, LLC.  A company he founded in June 2018 after retiring from Texas state government.  His primary practice areas are healthcare, technology, and human services where he has thirty years of state government experience.

Charles created relationships with many business leaders, state executives, and legislators.  He has a state and national reputation for being a man of high integrity and honesty, improving operations, thoughtfully using technology to increase efficiencies, creatively resolving problems, and fiscal stewardship. He is a frequent speaker at state, regional, and national conferences.

Charles spent more than twenty-six years in Texas Child Support Division at the Office of the Attorney General.  He worked his way up from caseworker to division director.  Along the way, he established a long history of partnership with HHSC staff at the local, regional, and state levels to outreach TANF, Medicaid, WIC, and SNAP recipients who could benefit from child support services.  Throughout his career at CSD, Charles was a frequent speaker at HHSC meetings and trainings.  Under his direction as Director of Field Operations from 2004-2013, the program rose to become the highest performing child support program in the nation.  He served as the Director of Child Support from 2013-2015.

Charles was appointed to serve as the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC) Chief Deputy Executive Commissioner in July 2015 and became Executive Commissioner effective June 1, 2016. As Executive Commissioner, Charles oversaw the Texas’ Health and Human Services system agencies consisting of a $40 Billion annual budget and 50,000 employees serving 7.5 million Texans in more than 600 programs that included child welfare, Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, mental health, regulatory, and aging.  During his tenure at HHSC, Charles successfully consolidated agencies and improved its overall efficiency and accountability to Texas citizens as directed by the state legislature.  In December 2017, he successfully negotiated a federal waiver with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that will bring $30+ Billion in healthcare funding to Texas.

Charles presently serves on the board for several private companies and non-profit associations/organizations.  He has worked on, led, or overseen many efforts and campaigns associated with public awareness, outreach, and marketing.

Charles is a proud graduate of Texas Tech University.

Adam Beckner
Digital Content Specialist

Adam Beckner is a Digital Content Specialist at Crosswind Media & Public Relations. He was born and raised “up North” in the Texas Panhandle in Amarillo where he and his wife still call home. Adam is a first generation college graduate with an Associates Degree in Business Administration from Amarillo College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from West Texas A&M University. Adam is focused on building digital brands that provide long term value and he brings to us a fierce out-of-the-box, entrepreneurial spirit, and understands our digital future. He knows that even digital marketing requires consistent innovation with solid story development to be truly impactful. He has already captured and powerfully positioned stories for clients and companies across the Web2 and Web3 industries. In 2017, Adam found his passion for creating digital content by live streaming content to platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. Shortly after developing his content creation skill, Adam excelled in guiding other companies to online success through the use of new era media like podcasting, video ads, and short form video content. Outside of the workplace, Adam enjoys reading books within the self help and business development genre, working out, and spending time with his family. On summer weekends, Adam also fuels his adrenaline needs by racing his Limited Dirt Modified at Route 66 Motor Speedway.

Aurora Silva
Account Executive

Aurora Silva is an account executive at Crosswind Media & Public Relations.  She is a born and raised Houstonian, currently living in the Cypress area, who enjoys anything involving Mediterranean food and Texas sunshine. Her mom makes the best ribs, and she is always excited to see what new creation she will be cooking up in the kitchen.

She attended Texas A&M in College Station where she received her Bachelor’s in English and fell in love with fantasy novels after attending a Fiction Fantasy literature course. Princess Bride is still the wittiest novel she’s ever read, she recommends that novel to everyone looking for a good laugh.

Aurora is a co-founder of a non-profit organization named Positioning Excellence Around Kids (P.E.A.K.).  The goal of P.E.A.K. is to ensure that students in the K-12 environment have equal access and opportunities to build a bright future. P.E.A.K. works with low-income families in Texas to offer programs that introduce participants to the skills and interests they have not yet acknowledged.

During her time at A&M she was also a member of Her Campus, an online global community for college women.  Her Campus is now the #1 media site for college women, written entirely by the world’s top college journalists. In this organization, founded by three smart, empowered, and fearless college women, Aurora wrote blog postings and contributed to the social media of her chapter in College State – all dedicated to and empowering college women.

Aurora was an member of Texas A&M’s chapter of American Association of University Women (AAUW), a non-profit organization founded in 1881 that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research to end discrimination.  Advocacy efforts by AAUW have propelled countless new laws, including the Equal Pay Act, first proposed in 1945 and finally passed in 1963; the Title IX amendment in 1972; the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993; and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.

After graduating, Aurora returned to the Houston area where she enjoys watching scary movies like A Quiet Place with her Mini Schnauzer named Fifer, always followed by something funny like Bob’s Burgers. She also loves trying new foods and would love to try Japanese food in Tokyo one day.  Aurora stays active by going on long walks, doing yoga, and lifting weights at the gym. Her favorite international trip was visiting Greece during New Year’s Eve where she ate one too many gyros and traveled to Delphi. Her dream vacation is going to the Florida Keys where she’d spend her time out in the sunshine and by the beach.

 

Brittany Reed
Account Coordinator

Brittany Reed serves as an Account Coordinator at Crosswind Media & Public Relations. Brittany grew up in Clovis, New Mexico but now calls Fort Worth, Texas home.

Brittany graduated from Texas A&M University in 2020 with a degree in Political Science and is currently in her final year of law school at Texas A&M University School of Law where she will receive her Juris Doctorate degree with a concentration in Domestic Public Policy. Brittany is an active member in the Texas A&M 12th Law Man, Board of Advocates, Civil Rights Law Initiatie, National Lawyer Guild, and Women’s Law Student Association.

While Brittany has always been an advocate for justice and progress, her passion for Public Policy and Relations was solidified when she began working for Representative Chris Turner, serving as his Communications and Social Media Manager and Legislative Aide during the 87th Legislative Session. This experience afforded Brittany the opportunity to work closely with lawmakers and constituents in developing policies that made positive impacts on Texas communities.

Brittany’s time at the State Capitol gave her a unique insight on the legislative process, which Brittany has since used to advocate for change and structural reform at the local level. While in law school, Brittany has held positions in the Fort Worth Mayor’s office and Representative Nicole Collier’s office. In each of these positions, Brittany has demonstrated a proven ability to build lasting relationships that produce results.

Brittany credits her success to the values instilled in her by her mother, Cathy, who never let Brittany forget that “if you want to change someone’s mind, you have to first change their heart–so be kind!” When Brittany is not working she shamelessly spends her time doting over her dog, Bear. Brittany loves to garden, bake, and is always a sucker for a good Rom-Com movie.

Tom Goff
Strategic Corporate Counsel

Tom Goff serves as strategic counsel to clients on matters involving corporate branding, reputation, crisis management, financial transactions, senior executive media positioning, business-to-business marketing, legal disputes and media and analyst relations. He brings 30 years experience as a successful financial journalist, media strategist and corporate reputation manager. He has advised senior management teams at a number of global corporations including Microsoft, Starbucks, MySpace, Sony Corporation, Warner Bros., Kaiser Permanente, Computer Sciences Corporation and Dubai World Properties, among others.

Tom previously served as an executive vice president with the nation’s largest independent PR firm, in senior corporate communications roles at Global Crossing, Lockheed Corp. and Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and as a successful financial journalist. At Global Crossing, Tom directed corporate sponsorships, acted as the principal spokesperson for a multi-national telecommunications corporation and personally promoted, managed and controlled coverage and cover stories for the company’s top management team in Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones News Service, Barron’s and Bloomberg, as well as CNBC, CNNfn and other print and electronic outlets.

As director of media and public relations for ARCO, Tom acted as a corporate spokesperson for financial and operational developments, managed crisis and oil-spill communications systems and supervised ARCO’s corporate image advertising, litigation communications and community relations initiatives. Tom worked for 10 years at the Lockheed Corporation where he served as manager of advertising and promotions, personally managing principal aspects of the successful $20 million PR and advertising effort behind Lockheed’s win of the F-22 Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the largest single defense contract then awarded in American history. In addition, he acted as manager of internal communications, coordinator of news and public information and as financial editor of Lockheed’s award-winning annual and quarterly reports.

Tom’s editorial tenure included business, political editorial and reporting positions at Esquire, New York Magazine and of Fortune 500 lists at Fortune. As founding editor and editor-in-chief of The Corporate Board, Tom led that journal to a readership with the highest-ranking business audience in America – the directors serving on boards of the nation’s largest public corporations – and currently serves on the board of editors.

Tom is a fourth-generation Californian, holds a bachelor’s degree in government with honors from California State University at Sacramento and a JD from UC-Davis where he served on the law review. He also served more than a decade as an officer in the Military Police Corps, U.S. Army Reserve.

Jonathan Taylor
Senior Advisor, Economic Development

Jonathan W. Taylor has devoted his career to public service. He has served his country as a frontline combat medic and the State of Texas as a leader of its economic development programs, with oversight of the state’s investment and reinvestment programs. Most recently, Taylor managed contract programs for the Lower Colorado River Authority which delivers vital electrical power, water and public recreation to many thousands of Texans.

Before that, he was executive director under Governor Rick Perry for the state’s Economic Development and Tourism effort where he oversaw integrated marketing (advertising, public relations, research) in domestic and international markets, successfully encouraging non-Texas travel to the Lone Star State and generating millions of dollars to local Texan communities and securing thousands of jobs in local communities.

Jonathan also served as Director of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. The Fund is the state’s largest, most active seed and early stage venture capital investment fund with over $400 million in expenditures. Jonathan led the development of the strategic plan and managed the State’s investment in 133 portfolio companies and 22 large scale research projects. He reported results directly to the Texas Legislature and advised the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker of the House on investment decisions of taxpayer funds.

Jonathan’s prior public service includes managing the $100 million Research Grant Matching and Research Superiority Grant programs, developing and leading the Texas Small Business Summits, and creating the Texas Small Business Advisory Council. Jonathan served eight years in the United States Army Reserve, as staff sergeant, combat medic and combat Advisor.

In Afghanistan, he served at a remote U.S. combat outpost and trained Afghan National Army and National Police staff, leading them to deploy and equip an emergency medical treatment facility for a population of over 50,000 Afghans.

Previously, Jonathan managed 200 medical personnel, $4 million of equipment, and patient throughput of a fully functional 80 bed Level 3 Army Field Hospital. He served in the Dominican Republic, providing emergency medical treatment of approximately 700 U.S., Central American and Caribbean military and police forces, and he has trained and supervised the medical personnel in a variety of remote and hostile environments.

He has earned the Combat Medic Badge, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with service star, a Global War on Terror Service Medal, NATO medal for ISAF, and several other commendations.

Jonathan holds a BA in Political Science, Economics emphasis with a minor in criminal justice from Texas Christian University and extensive military training including U.S. Army Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, Warrior Leader Course, U.S. Army Combat Advisor among others. Jonathan’s medical training has included NREMT-B, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider and Instructor, Pediatric ACLS Provider and Instructor, Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Provider and Instructor, Combat Medic Advanced Skills Provider and Instructor, Field Management of a Chemical and Biological Casualty Course, MITT Medical Course, and many others.

Tammy Ditmore
Corporate Editor

Tammy Ditmore brings a passion for precise language and a knack for spotting careless mistakes to Crosswind, helping ensure that press releases, blog posts, ads and annual reports are accurate, engaging and error-free.

Tammy began her editing career more than three decades ago on a newspaper copy desk in Abilene, Texas. She went on to fill various editing chairs at the Dallas Times Herald and the Austin American-Statesman. Since leaving the newsroom, she has worked as the managing editor of an academic journal and edited scores of books, magazines, websites and articles for publishing houses, businesses, authors and scholars.

She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association; American Copy Editors Society; Independent Book Publishers Association; and the Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network.

Windy the Wonder Horse

“Windy” is a 2015 Kentucky-bred thoroughbred mare who was registered with the Jockey Club, a thoroughbred breed registry, as Princessdaisyleigh. Her sire is Graydar, the son of Unbridled’s Song – who won $1.3 million and was posthumously granted the title of leading sire in North America in 2017 – and grandson of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, who claimed almost $4.5 million in race earnings. Her dam is Cherry Sherry, a granddaughter of Canadian-bred Deputy Minister who sired many successful racehorses – a feat replicated by his son, and Windy’s grandsire, Awesome Again.