About Alexia Poe
Alexia Poe is a strategic communications consultant with more than 30 years of experience across journalism, government, higher education, and the private sector. She serves as Principal of Poe Consulting, LLC, a Nashville-based firm certified as a woman-owned business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. The firm provides strategic communications, public affairs, and public relations counsel to organizations navigating complex challenges.
Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Poe graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Mass Communication/Media Studies. She began her career as a morning anchor and reporter at WKPT-TV in Kingsport, Tennessee. In 1997, she was appointed Press Secretary to Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist, becoming the youngest person and only the second woman in Tennessee history to hold that role.
Poe went on to serve as Deputy Press Secretary to First Lady Laura Bush in the East Wing of the White House from 2002 to 2003. She then served as Communications Director for United States Senator Lamar Alexander from 2003 to 2005. Her career continued in the private sector as Director of Public Affairs for Gaylord Entertainment, where she led the public campaign for the Music City Center, a $600 million convention center project.
In 2009, Poe joined the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County as Director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development. She returned to state government in 2011 as Director of Communications to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, a position she held until 2015. She founded Poe Consulting in September 2015 and later joined The Ingram Group as a Senior Member from 2018 to 2025, before returning to her firm full-time in March 2025.
Poe received the College of Communication and Information Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Tennessee and an Associated Press award for a series on domestic violence. She serves on the University of Tennessee Knoxville Chancellor’s Advisory Board as a gubernatorial appointee, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and the Friends of Warner Parks Board of Directors. She supports the Alexia and Charley Poe Scholarship Fund at the University of Tennessee College of Communications.
Career Background
Poe Consulting, LLC
The Ingram Group
Poe Consulting
Tennessee Governor's Office
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Peritus
Gaylord Entertainment
United States Senate
The White House
State of Tennessee
WKPT-TV
Education
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Media
Press
With more than 30 years of experience, Poe has worked across journalism, government, higher education, and corporate leadership. Today, she leads Poe Consulting, LLC, a Nashville-based firm focused on strategy and crisis communication. Her career followed a clear theme: helping people and organizations make sense of complex situations.
With more than 30 years of experience across journalism, government, higher education, and business, Poe has helped shape major initiatives, guide leaders, and bring complex ideas to life. Today, as founder of Poe Consulting, LLC, she focuses on helping organizations move from concept to execution with clarity.
Strategic communications expert Alexia Poe is raising awareness about the critical role clear, structured communication plays in today’s fast-moving and high-pressure environments. With more than 30 years of experience across journalism, government, higher education, and corporate leadership, Poe is encouraging organizations and individuals to rethink how they approach communication—especially during times of uncertainty or crisis.
Strategic communications expert Alexia Poe has launched a ‘Clarity First’ pledge encouraging better communication practices in organizations and high-pressure environments, drawing on her 30 years of experience in journalism, government, and consulting.
Alexia Poe has spent more than 30 years working in journalism, government, and business. She has led communication in high-pressure roles, including for two governors and in the White House. She now runs a consulting firm focused on strategy and crisis communication, centered on one idea: if people are not clear, nothing moves.
Over the last 30 years, Poe has worked in journalism, state government, the White House, corporate leadership, and consulting. Today, she leads Poe Consulting, LLC, a Nashville-based strategic consulting firm focused on communications, organizational planning, and crisis management. Her experience spans multiple industries with one core challenge: helping people stay aligned when decisions carry real consequences.
Alexia Poe has spent her career helping people make sense of complicated moments. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, she became Press Secretary to Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist, making history as the youngest person and only the second woman to hold the role. In 2015, she launched Poe Consulting, LLC in Nashville to help organizations navigate change, strengthen leadership communication, and turn ideas into action.
Strategic communications expert Alexia Poe has released a free resource called the ’15-Minute Clarity Check’, a simple communication guide designed to reduce confusion and improve understanding. The guide reflects principles Poe has used throughout her career in journalism, government, and consulting.
Awards & Recognition
- College of Communication and Information Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Tennessee
- Associated Press award for series on domestic violence
- Graduated magna cum laude from University of Tennessee
Licenses & Certifications
- Certified woman-owned business, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
Boards & Memberships
- University of Tennessee Knoxville Chancellor’s Advisory Board, gubernatorial appointee
- Tennessee Performing Arts Center Board of Directors and Executive Committee
- Friends of Warner Parks Board of Directors
- Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
- Rotary Club of Nashville, Program Committee Member, January 2010 – Present
- Alpha Omicron Pi
- Mortar Board
- Student Alumni Association
- FiftyForward Board of Directors, July 2006 – July 2012
Charities & Volunteering
- Alexia and Charley Poe Scholarship Fund, University of Tennessee College of Communications
- West End Community Church
- Barefoot Republic Camp
- Patriot Foundation
- Friends of Warner Parks
- Tennessee Performing Arts Center, annual fund and capital campaign
- FiftyForward, Board of Directors, July 2006 – July 2012
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