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Linda Rutherford

Public Relations Director, Southwest Airlines
Graduate of Carrollton-Farmers Branch Newman Smith High School

Linda Rutherford, director of Public Relations for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, is a 1984 graduate of Newman Smith High School in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. As PR director for the nation’s largest airline in terms of domestic passengers, Rutherford has an extensive list of responsibilities, including handling national and trade publication media relations, special event planning, crisis communications, and media training.


Prior to joining Southwest Airlines in 1992, she was a reporter for several Dallas-area newspapers; she began her career with Newsweek magazine in New York. Rutherford was an honors graduate of Texas Tech University and was recently named an Outstanding Alumni of the Texas Tech College of Mass Communications. Her civic activities include membership on the board of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Educational Foundation, a chairmanship on the Texas Tech Mass Communications Alumni Advisory Committee, a chairmanship on the board of directors of the Press Club of Dallas Foundation, a membership on the board of directors of Friends of Texas Public Schools, and a memberbship with the National Advisory Board of PR Newswire.

“Texas’ public schools are breeding the political, business, and community leaders of tomorrow. Invest in that future by sharing your time, talent, and treasure to help make a difference.”

—Linda Rutherford