“People are no longer looking for polished messaging. They’re looking for clarity, consistency, and leadership that understands how decisions actually affect communities. “– P. Celeste Burks
In an era when public trust in institutions continues to erode, one strategic communications firm is taking a different approach to crisis management and civic engagement. Rather than relying on conventional PR tactics, J. Hampton Strategies operates at the intersection of policy, community, and credibility – bringing lived government experience to organizations navigating high-stakes moments.
Founded in 2024 by P. Celeste Burks, the firm specializes in working with governments, elected officials, nonprofits, and corporations that operate in high-visibility environments where communication directly impacts public confidence. The firm’s approach emphasizes clarity over spin, aligning leadership vision with community reality during periods of transition, growth, or heightened scrutiny.
The name itself reflects a philosophy rooted in legacy rather than branding convention. J. Hampton Strategies honors Burks’ mother and great-grandfather, both educators and leaders who believed deeply in what the firm calls “the human cause” – the principle that people thrive when they are informed, supported, and given access to opportunity.
“J. Hampton is a reminder that leadership isn’t about title, it’s about impact. I carry their belief that everyone deserves to be informed, respected, and given a real chance to succeed,” Burks said.
What distinguishes the firm from traditional public relations agencies is the depth of its founder’s government experience. Burks brings more than 20 years of progressively responsible work across municipal governments, state agencies, regional economic development organizations, and political campaigns. Her career has included senior leadership roles in cities across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, West Coast, and Pacific Northwest.
From 2022 to 2024, Burks served as Director of the Office of Strategic Communication and Civic Engagement for the City of Richmond, Virginia, where she established the city’s first centralized communications office and led citywide strategic communications initiatives. Prior to that, she served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Mayor for the City of Augusta, Georgia, acting as senior liaison between executive leadership, administration, and community stakeholders.
Her municipal experience also includes multiple leadership positions with the City of Miami Gardens, Florida, one of the state’s largest majority-Black cities, where she directed public affairs, civic engagement, and major cultural programming. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly eight years with the City of Fort Lauderdale, leading youth engagement and community initiatives in historically underserved areas while securing more than half a million dollars in sponsorships.
Beyond municipal work, Burks directed the Center for Public Affairs at the Washington State Department of Health and served as Director of Public Relations and Communications for the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, developing regional narratives across six counties and working with 43 regional CEOs and government partners.
This firsthand understanding of how decisions are made, implemented, and scrutinized in real time allows J. Hampton Strategies to provide strategic communications guidance that is practical and grounded in operational reality rather than theory. The firm’s services span strategic communications, crisis response, media training, civic engagement, and leadership development.
Burks’ approach to crisis communication is informed not only by professional experience but also by personal encounter with public scrutiny. At one point in her career, she became the subject of public attention rather than the strategist behind the messaging. The matter was fully reviewed, and she was cleared. Rather than retreat from public work, Burks used the experience to deepen her understanding of how narratives form and spread.
“Being the headline taught me what no training ever could – how fast stories move, how silence gets filled, and how important it is to stand firmly in truth,” Burks said.
That experience reinforced principles now embedded in the firm’s methodology: that silence creates space for misinformation, that defensive communication erodes trust, and that leaders must communicate clearly even when circumstances are uncomfortable.
“I don’t teach crisis communication from theory. I teach it from lived experience,” Burks noted.
The firm’s work prioritizes historically overlooked and underserved communities, reflecting Burks’ consistent career focus on equity-centered communication and engagement. J. Hampton Strategies operates across city halls, boardrooms, community spaces, and media platforms, ensuring communication strategies are human-centered and credible.
In addition to client work, Burks has collaborated with civic mobilization organizations and has served in senior communications roles for multiple successful mayoral, county, and state campaigns. She is also the creator of Call & Response: Message + Movement and Still Crowned, platforms focused on leadership, resilience, and reinvention.
The firm’s positioning centers on a fundamental premise that distinguishes it from conventional public relations firms: that community engagement is not an event but a commitment, and that crisis does not create character but reveals leadership.
“Every organization has a story. The question is whether you’re telling it– or letting someone else define it,” Burks said.
As public sector organizations and mission-driven institutions face increasing scrutiny and complexity, J. Hampton Strategies represents a model that prioritizes trust-building and accountability alongside strategic messaging, bringing together the practical knowledge of government operations with the strategic discipline required to maintain credibility in high-stakes environments.
