Chandra M. Hayslett (she/her) serves as Chief Communications Officer of The Legal Aid Society, where she is responsible for shaping and executing a forward-thinking communications strategy that elevates our public presence, deepens the understanding of our impact, and supports our mission across our practice areas.

Prior to joining Legal Aid, Hayslett was the Vice President of Communications at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where she led the creation and execution of communications plans to boost the think tank’s engagement with key audiences on Capitol Hill, promote its research, and support the organization’s growth. At the Joint Center, she boosted media placements by 83% in her first year by developing targeted messaging and pitching strategies, launched the organization’s first Giving Tuesday campaign, raising tens of thousands of dollars in a single month, expanded the Communications team fourfold, and refined structures, systems, and processes to support of overall mission.

Before joining the Joint Center, Hayslett was the Director of Communications at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), where she oversaw the development of strategic and crisis communications for the legal and advocacy nonprofit during President Trump’s first term. While at CCR, she served as the brand ambassador and led a successful organizational rebranding initiative, earning recognition as a 2019 finalist in the PR News nonprofit branding competition, launched and marketed a podcast that attracted thousands of listeners per episode, and advised executive leadership on media and public speaking, providing talking points and interview preparation, resulting in doubling media placements to a record-breaking 11,000 in one year.

Prior to CCR, Hayslett was part of executive leadership teams at public relations agencies and other nonprofits, where she served as an advisor who moved public opinion with narrative shifting and thought leadership by amplifying CEO and executive director positioning.

Before transitioning into public relations, Hayslett spent 11 years as a newspaper reporter covering K-12 public education and politics at newspapers across Tennessee and New Jersey, including The Star-Ledger (Newark), where she was part of a reporting team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News.

Hayslett is a member of the National and New York Associations of Black Journalists, Communications Network, and Public Relations Society of America. She has a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies from the University of Tennessee.