Episode #14
Episode 14: Christopher Horn on Building Trust, Leading Through Crisis, and Making Comms Core to the Mission
Christopher Horn has spent 17+ years building communications strategy for some of the world's most recognisable nonprofit and advocacy organisations — from C40 Cities' network of climate-leading mayors to the Council of State Governments Justice Center, and now as Director of Communications at the States United Democracy Center. In this episode, he joins Vishnee to talk about his unlikely route into the sector, the campaign he's proudest of, how he leads teams through pressure, and why he thinks trusted voices — not AI — are the real story in the future of comms. In this episode: How a bad grade in Chemistry 101 and the Great Recession redirected Chris from magazine journalism into nonprofit communications Leading the 2022 C40 World Mayors Summit, and aligning 100+ mayors around one message Why Chris sees resource constraints as "lanes, not boxes" His approach to leading a team through high-pressure moments and crisis response Making the case for comms as a strategic partner, not just a service provider Where he thinks comms is headed: misinformation, new media, and trusted community voices A personal story of resilience, and the advice he'd give his younger self About Christopher Horn: Christopher Horn serves as the Director of Communications at the States United Democracy Center, where he oversees digital, media relations, and strategic communications. Before joining States United, Christopher served as Division Director of Communications & External Affairs at the Council of State Governments Justice Center, leading a nearly 20-person team to produce and amplify resources advancing criminal justice reform in states and localities nationwide. He was also previously the Head of Strategic Communications & Partnerships at C40 Cities, an international network of climate-leading mayors, where he developed and led communications strategies for global and regional initiatives. Earlier in his career, he held communications leadership roles at forest conservation and urban forestry organisations. His expertise lies in strategic planning, digital communications, content strategy, and executive positioning, with a focus on building strong stakeholder relationships and driving impact through effective communications. Christopher received a BS in journalism from the University of Kansas. Links mentioned: Christopher's LinkedIn series, "7 Ways to Make Comms Core to Your Mission": https://www.linkedin.com/posts/christopherahorn_communicationsasstrategy-communicationsasstrategy-activity-7358134623010267136-nRoc Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode, please follow The Comms Collective and leave a rating and review — it genuinely helps more comms professionals find the show.
