Beth Harbin
Strategic Communications Manager, Southwest Airlines

As a primary spokesperson for the nation's fourth largest airline, Beth Harbin intimately understands the power of the press and the impact of a positive corporate reputation. Her management role in the Public Relations department at Southwest Airlines Co. has helped that team win such awards as the Lone Star Award from the Texas Public Relations Association and the Corporate Communication Team of the Year designation from PR Week.

Beth has more than ten years of PR, advertising and marketing experience, having worked in account service for both advertising and PR agencies before joining Southwest Airlines. Her clients ranged from NFL football teams, world-class restaurants, commercial real estate properties, and the spirited Dallas-based airline.

Now Strategic Communications Manager at Southwest Airlines, Beth manages information for national trade publications and works with major daily newspapers and TV stations on key issues. She was the communications lead for the launch of the airline's successful web site - southwest.com - which has grown into the airline industry's most successful e-commerce site with well over $1 billion in annual revenues. Beth continues to work directly with Southwest's web team and handles all of Southwest's other communications needs regarding technology - from online procurement of aircraft parts to online customer service.

She recently received the airline's highest award - the President's Award - for her leadership in the re-writing of the airline's Crisis Plan and its execution during a recent flight irregularity that received national media attention. She worked directly with the airline's CEO under intense pressure to develop public statements, executive talking points, press releases and position papers which were carried by the national news media and the airline's own web site. The Dallas Morning News, PR Week, and USA Today all lauded the airline's response to that crisis. On another difficult issue, she represented the airline on live, national television to help quench escalating media attention to a controversial Customer policy.

In addition to crisis management, Beth has had significant involvement with the airline's investor relations, governmental affairs, aircraft maintenance, marketing, field sales, legal, and human resources departments. Most recently, she lived, quite literally, in Southwest's terminal at LAX International Airport as Southwest participated in the filming of a new reality series for the Arts & Entertainment Television Network. Her specialty, however, is taking complex issues and re-packaging them for the greatest impact on a targeted audience.

A St. Louis native, Beth hails from the University of Colorado/Boulder's School of Journalism and Mass Communication where she studied and interned in broadcast journalism.

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