White Oak Communications is an independent communications consultancy established in 2019 by John Taylor. Most of

White Oak’s clients are businesses and non-profits who seek out John to advise them on specific public relations, crisis communications, or employee communications challenges. When clients need support on larger, more complex communications projects, John retains other independent communications professionals to form a virtual project team to serve the client. This approach gives clients extraordinary flexibility and greater control of their communications budgets while avoiding the overhead expenses that come with traditional brick-and-mortar communications firms.

​

John started his communications career at one of Washington, DC's largest independent PR firms, and went on to work in media relations, crisis communications, public affairs, M&A communications, and internal communications for two Fortune 500 corporations – Nextel Communications and Sprint.

 

After more than a decade in telecom, John jumped at the chance to lead communications at SpaceX, where he worked from 2014-2018. Following SpaceX, John headed the communications team of Cruise Automation, a self-driving car company in San Francisco.

 

John's most recent in-house communications leadership role was with the Oversight Board, the independent organization set up to help Facebook and Instagram answer some of the most difficult questions around freedom of expression: what to take down, what to leave up, and why. John helped establish the Board's global team of communications and public engagement professionals during its initial years of operation.

​

John earned a master’s degree in government administration

from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Furman University

in Greenville, SC.

 

While he has lived most of his adult life in Washington, DC, John is very much a Tar Heel in exile -- he will always call North Carolina home.