M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure
Executive Vice President for Communications
Allyn Brooks-LaSure leads strategic communications for all facets of The Leadership Conference’s multi-issue civil and human rights agenda and affiliated educational campaigns. In this role, he leads a team of communicators in crafting and deploying an effective communications vision, frame, and narrative that drive action toward protecting and promoting civil and human rights for all persons in the United States.
Before joining the civil rights movement, Brooks-LaSure served in domestic and overseas postings as a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer. As Country Officer for the United Kingdom, he created policy briefing materials for the Secretary of State, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and other senior U.S. officials – which strengthened and preserved the “special” U.S.-UK diplomatic, economic, and defense partnership. As climate communications advisor to both the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, he led the Department’s global communications efforts to showcase U.S. leadership on climate change leading up to, during, and following the 2015 Paris climate talks. Brooks-LaSure also served in diplomatic and consular positions in Dhahran and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Melbourne, Australia.
Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Allyn served as a principal communications advisor to former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, where he spearheaded her efforts to raise the profile of environmental and climate justice.
Brooks-LaSure has served as spokesman for two U.S. senators, the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, and the Save Darfur Coalition. He is a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., where he served as regimental public affairs officer and president of The African-American Society.