Linda Thomas Brooks has operated at the intersection of communications, marketing, media, and technology in her multi-faceted career.

Linda most recently led trade associations in the media and communications industry, including four years as the Chief Executive Officer of the Public RelationsSociety of America (PRSA).  PRSA is the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community.  PRSA has over 25,000 members, is represented in all 50 states by more than 110 Chapters and 14 Professional Interest Sections, and on over 300 college and university campuses through its student organization, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).At PRSA, Thomas Brooks created and built initiatives focused on identifying and addressing Mis- and Disinformation.  She also helped launch an industry effort focusing on the ethical use of AI in the communications industry.  In 2024, she led the PRSA team to recognition as the Global Public Relations Association of the Year.  She was also named to the PR News Top Women in PR awards in the category of Industry Champion.

Prior to that role, Thomas Brooks was the President and CEO of the Association of Magazine Media, where the synthesis of her experiences created business advantage for complex media companies. In her role, she led an organization which provided communications, business, research, marketing and government affairs support to hundreds of media client brands, from large public companies to small, privately-held corporations.Previously, Thomas Brooks was the Executive Vice President, Managing Director of General Motors Mediaworks, a media strategy and investment unit representing all the divisions and brands within General Motors.  Thomas Brooks and her team were responsible for approximately $750 million in annual media spending. During her time in Detroit, Linda was elected as President of the Adcraft Club of Detroit.  Thomas Brooks was also the President of Ingenuity Media at The Martin Agency, overseeing strategy, implementation, and client relationships for clients such as GEICO, Johnson & Johnson and The American Cancer Society.

She focused on tech marketing and GTM strategies at Trilogy, where she created anew marketing function for the business technology company.  At Trilogy, she also helped to develop new b-to-b products using imaginatively-applied tech and data assets.  She was also one of the founding executives of Gear Digital, an omni-channel, full-service agency built with proprietary technology at its core, allowing for real-time optimization of advertising content as well as placement.Over her career, Thomas Brooks has been received many industry honors including being named an Advertising Age Women to Watch, a member of the American Advertising Federations’ Hall of Achievement for early career success, and a winner of the Advertising Women of New York’s Impact Award for Mentoring.  She was also named one of the 100 Leading Women in North American Auto Industry, one of Folio Magazine’s Top 100 Execs, and one of the Min Magazine 21 Most Intriguing People.Linda currently serves her alma mater, The Ohio State University, on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Arts & Sciences, and on the Advisory Council for the Buckeye Leadership Fellows program.  She was also one of the founding executives of the Institute for Advertising Ethics, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing training and certification for advertising practitioners.

She is advisor for start-ups and early-stage companies, bringing her expertise in brand management and communications, consumer behavior and media usage, the evolution of the media ecosystem, data science, consumer privacy and corporate social responsibility.  She serves the industry as a judge in awards programs, most recently the U.S. Travel Association’s ESTO awards and the International Business Awards.  She is a frequent industry speaker, panelist and moderator.