Lindsey Brown

Lindsey Brown co-founded the Southern Smoke Foundation in 2015 and joined the staff as executive director in 2023.

She ran Lindsey Brown Public Relations 2016-2023, promoting food, beverage, and arts clients to local, regional, and national media. Prior to her years in hospitality PR, Brown was director of marketing and public relations for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau for 10 years. She launched the Where the Chefs Eat Houston Culinary Tours program—winner of the Public Relations Society of America’s Silver Anvil Award in 2011—and worked with local, regional and national media to further Houston’s reputation as a tourist destination.

Brown graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in public relations. She began her career at Vollmer Public Relations in both the company’s Dallas and Houston offices. She also served as the special projects coordinator for the Houston Ballet Academy; a trained ballerina through age 18, Brown later would go on to co-found the Houston Ballet’s young professionals group, Ballet Barre, which has more than 200 members in its sixth year. She continues to support the organization as a member of the Board of Trustees and serves on the advisory board of Dress for Success Houston.