LINK Strategic Partners Announces New Director Hire and Launches Austin, Texas Office

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LINK Strategic Partners (LINK), a global strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and social impact consulting firm, is excited to announce the appointment of Celso Baez III as Director of Strategy and Texas Branch Manager. This new role will provide strategic vision and leadership in all facets of LINK’s client portfolio as the firm expands its mission-driven reach to new markets.

Baez will launch LINK’s Austin, Texas office and build upon the footprint LINK has established in the state following its critical work including supporting the City of Brownsville during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; Austin Independent School District as part of its long-range facility master plan and successful 2017 bond efforts; Huston Tillotson University and its groundbreaking community engagement work; and multi-year activations at SXSW and SXSWEdu. He joins LINK after nearly 15 years of experience as a community engagement practitioner and public administration professional, with a deep cross-sector background that includes public education, public transportation, public health and health care service delivery, government relations, community engagement, and campaign strategy.

“LINK prides itself on working on the most challenging and complex issues of the moment in and with communities across the country and abroad. With his breadth of expertise and experience, we could not be more excited to welcome Celso into this leadership role,” said Michael Akin, President of LINK Strategic Partners. “Expanding our presence in the Texas market is a deliberate step for the firm, and we do so with the utmost mindfulness to do right by communities we seek to serve – which is why LINK will enthusiastically invest in transformational local organizations by way of Celso’s engagement and beyond.”

Baez is passionate about serving to improve the great equalizers that afforded him and his family opportunities to prosper and lead a dignified life. His track record of influencing public-serving organizations towards prioritizing equitable, inclusive, and participatory decision-making processes is laudable. He has accomplished this through important work at Capital Metro, Austin’s public transportation authority; at Austin ISD, Central Texas’ largest public school district; and at Central Health, Travis County’s public hospital district.

“Community involvement is a way of life for me, and I look forward to furthering my intentional work within and outside of Austin’s institutions that aim to create more equitable communities for all,” Baez said. “Joining LINK and its mission-focused and social impact-minded team aligns with my values. I’m thrilled to join LINK and bring about positive change across all of the firm’s valued clients.”

Celso’s appointment is another step in the culmination of a robust search for leadership talent across a range of sectors in which LINK operates. This announcement propels LINK into the second half of the year and builds on a series of recent achievements, most recently being named to the Inc. Magazine Best In Business List of “companies making a positive impact on the world.” Building upon a decade of providing extensive mission-driven expertise, LINK continues to accelerate and expand its work to support the specific needs of the many communities and client partners the firm serves.

For more information about LINK Strategic Partners, visit our website, www.linksp.com. Follow our team and learn about the community-based work that we do through our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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About LINK Strategic Partners

LINK Strategic Partners is a global strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and social impact consulting firm proudly based in Washington, D.C. In the past 10 years, LINK has expanded from a small local shop to a dynamic firm with hundreds of local, regional, national, and international clients. Our world-class and diverse team of professionals ranges from 17 to 94 years of age and lead our offices in D.C., Phoenix, St. Louis, New York, Austin and Manchester, England. Over 65% of Team LINK identifies as women, and nearly 70% are people of color, reflecting LINK’s foundational commitment to be “in and of” the communities we serve. LINK’s mission-driven work includes thousands of hours of pro and low bono work with community partners. Visit www.linksp.com.

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• Celso Baez III

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