Meet Connor Stokes, Hollaway's Communications Technical Expert

Meet Connor Stokes, one of our more veteran employees. Connor is a Technical Expert for our communications team at Hollaway Environmental + Communications Services. Connor began his career with Hollaway in July of 2014 as an intern to fulfill the last remaining credit hours he needed to earn his minor in Professional Writing. At the time, the company had about a dozen employees, with the communications team making up less than half that number. Little did Connor know, his summer internship would turn into a near decade of work with Hollaway.

Upon finishing his internship, Connor was offered a full-time position as an Associate Communications Specialist. Though technically on the communications team, he was soon tasked with supporting a marsh restoration project at the Baytown Nature Center. This project meant four months of environmental fieldwork like harvesting existing marsh grass and replanting it at one of the three large restoration sites at the nature center.

“This project was extremely challenging in terms of relentless early mornings and long days, but I think I learned what it takes to become an accountable, trusted professional through the experience,” said Connor.

After successfully restoring the nature center, Connor was entrusted with more and more communications responsibilities and earned several promotions and new titles over the next decade.

While at Hollaway, Connor has had several opportunities to lead the team in some of our most interesting projects including:

• The Texas General Land Office’s Coastal Resiliency Master Plan,
• The Coastal Texas Study led by USACE and the Texas General Land Office, and
• The 2018 Harris County Flood Control Bond Program.

Connor has a range of expertise and certifications. Most notably, Connor is trained in media relations and crisis communications, and high-emotion public meeting facilitation. Connor has his ISI Envision Certification.

As a project expert and facilitator, Connor has had the pleasure of participating in a variety of professional conferences like the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association, Texas Flood Plain Management Association, and Association of Floodplain Managers, among others.

Although all these pieces of training and experiences have been of great value to Connor’s professional development, he attributes the opportunity to learn directly from Leslie Hollaway, Hollaway's Chief Executive Officer, and Greg Sevcik, Hollaway's Creative Director, from the very beginning of his career as having the greatest impact on his professional development.

“I don’t know that I’d be in the position I’m in now without learning first-hand from them just as the communications practice began to skyrocket,” said Connor.

We are so happy to have Connor here at Hollaway. He has played an integral role in many client projects.