Travis J. Carter
Travis J. Carter is the founder and president of Carter Public Relations – an independent PR firm specializing in high-impact legal and public affairs media relations, strategic planning and image-building corporate initiatives. Since his firm’s inception, Carter has provided public relations counsel to some of the world’s most successful organizations and individuals. He works with a select number of clients facing a wide range of communications challenges and opportunities, including legal and regulatory concerns, crisis events and pro-active campaigns.
Prior to launching his company, Carter served as director of communications for the national litigation firm of Bickel & Brewer. Carter has been recognized as among the first communication professionals countrywide to begin an in-house public relations practice at a national litigation firm. Prior to that, Carter was a corporate relations manager with a Fortune 50 company, where he oversaw media relations, internal communications and crisis management for the company's largest field communications operation. Carter has worked extensively in the crisis management arena, managing communications and media relating to regulatory concerns, lawsuits and natural disasters. Carter also was involved in many high-profile communication initiatives, such as NAFTA, when he worked for the Public Affairs Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where he began his career in public relations after working in the print news media.
Testament to the significance of Carter's media expertise is the prominence of the news organizations through which his firm routinely secures media coverage. The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, CNN, Good Morning America, Court TV, The Dallas Morning News, The National Law Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and D Magazine have all extensively reported on matters handled by the firm.
Carter frequently writes and lectures on a wide range of communications issues. He has served as a contributing speaker for organizations such as the National Communication Association, Texas Public Relations Association and Media Relations New York, the nation's largest media relations conference. More recently, Carter was a featured presenter for the Public Relations Society of America on the topic of "Managing PR in the Legal Arena." He has been a contributing writer for publications such as for PR News and Philanthropy World magazine.
In February 2008, two of Carter's public relations campaigns were featured in the "Top 100 Case Studies in PR, Vol. 3," published by PR News. In 2007, Carter and his firm were awarded a "Silver Quill" from the International Association of Business Communicators. In 2006, Carter PR was named an overall national winner in the Legal PR Awards, one of the industry's premier national honors. That same year, Carter PR was recognized by the industry for developing the No. 1 pro bono PR campaign in the United States. In 2005, the Dallas Business Journal recognized Carter as among the top 40 business professionals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area under 40 years of age. Carter has been named by PR News as “One of 15 to Watch” on the national PR scene.
Carter is active in a broad array of activities that benefit the arts, education and the community. As an example, he is the immediate past chairman of the award-winning theater company Shakespeare Dallas. He currently serves as a founding member of the "Royal Order of 65 Roses," a group of business and civic leaders supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Carter, who received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma, holds an MBA from the University of Dallas.