Brad Hawkins, Public Relations Manager for Southwest Airlines, brings the perspectives of a veteran broadcast journalist to the team charged with communicating the multi-channel messaging of the nation's low-fare pioneer and largest domestic airline.

Brad heads up strategic broadcast outreach in Southwest's 68 markets across 35 states and serves as primary spokesperson for the western states.

Prior to joining Southwest in January of 2009, Brad covered the aviation and aerospace industries of North Texas while anchoring the top-rated weekend evening and weekday morning newscasts at WFAA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Dallas/Ft Worth.  His recognitions include several Emmy awards for anchoring and international reporting, the Edward R Murrow Award and numerous accolades from media critics and viewers who named him Best News Anchor in Dallas.

Brad logged more than five hundred Southwest flights as a Customer before joining the team as an Employee.  He's a graduate of the College of Communications at The University of Texas at Austin.

Christina Simmons is responsible for external communications related to the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and the Zoo’s department of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES).  In this role, she oversees a team of people who work with local, national and international media outlets to deliver news about the Zoological Society and it’s work.  

Simmons began working for the Zoological Society in 1989 as a member of the animal care staff in the San Diego Zoo’s Children’s Zoo area.  She continued to work as part of the animal care staff, (working with a variety of species including tigers, orangutans, condors and meerkats) until 1994 when she took over management of the Zoological Society’s keeper training program.  In 1995, Simmons joined the Zoological Society’s public relations department as an intern.  Since that time she has gained responsibility, becoming a Public Relations Representative in 1996 and Public Relations Manager in 1999.  

Before coming to work with the Zoological Society, Simmons managed the animal care and daily operations of the Greenway and Nature Center’s bird of prey rehabilitation program in Colorado for three years.  During her work in Colorado she was able to share the experience she had gained as a volunteer working at the Raptor Center of the University of California at Davis.  

Simmons received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Davis in 1986.  In addition to her work for the San Diego Zoo, she has also been active in community organizations.  Simmons served in a volunteer capacity as the Curator of Birds for the Chula Vista Nature Interpretive Center from 1990 – 1995, was the editor of the member publication “The Keeper” for the American Association of Zookeepers in 1994 and 1995, is a past  member of the public relations committee for the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.