// Experience

A decade in
the message fight.

High Holler is led by Nick Hutchins, a progressive communications specialist with extensive experience in advocacy, political campaigns, nonprofit leadership, and small business storytelling.

Nick Hutchins, founder of High Holler
// Founder

Nick Hutchins.

Nick Hutchins is the founder of High Holler, a strategic communications and public relations shop based in Charlottesville, Virginia. He grew up in East Tennessee, spent his career in national progressive comms, and now builds high-impact communications, branding, and PR campaigns for clients who want their voices heard.

Over more than a decade, Nick has built communications programs at national progressive institutions, in-house at Fortune 500 companies, and at high-profile public affairs agencies. He has sat on both sides of the client-agency table and knows how to deliver service that shows up, builds trust, and moves the audiences clients most want to reach.

Beyond High Holler, Nick serves as President of Charlottesville Pride, the nonprofit running the largest LGBTQ+ celebration in Central Virginia. He lives in Charlottesville with his husband.

// In-house leadership

Building teams and strategies from scratch.
Placing hundreds of stories.

Head of Communications + Digital
Swing Left + Vote Forward
2024–2025

Directed communications, digital, and paid media programs through the 2024 election cycle. Managed a team of 10+ across comms, digital, and creative. Led rapid response, surrogate strategy, and cross-platform messaging for two of the largest Democratic grassroots organizations in the country.

Communications Director
Vote.org
2022–2024

Led communications and built a first-of-its-kind influencer program drawing voices including Taylor Swift, Gabrielle Union, Demi Lovato, and Leonardo DiCaprio into voter registration and turnout. Secured national coverage in Politico, TIME, People, Teen Vogue, and across network television.

PR Manager · State + Local Government
Amazon Web Services
2021–2022

Managed public relations for AWS's state and local government business, working alongside C-suite executives on media strategy across the country. Navigated both proactive storytelling and sensitive corporate communications.

Deputy Communications Director
Human Rights Campaign
2016–2021

Rose from Press Secretary to Deputy Communications Director, leading a team of fourteen across earned media, digital, and internal comms. Anchored comms strategy through Trump-era LGBTQ+ policy fights and major legal campaigns, plus leading state legislative communications strategies for all 50 states.

Agency roots.

Nick began his career at SKDKnickerbocker in Washington, D.C., one of the most prominent progressive public affairs agencies in the country. He worked on accounts including Jim Obergefell (plaintiff in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges same-sex marriage case), the Obama Foundation, Meta (Facebook at the time), and multiple political campaigns and advocacy organizations.

That agency grounding shaped his understanding of client service, message discipline, and cross-account thinking that he brings to every engagement today.

Recent clients.

High Holler's ongoing consulting portfolio includes Equality Virginia, Charlottesville Pride, The Birdcage and Mockingbird Restaurant, The Local Restaurant Group, Oath.vote, APEX Performance Center, the Fifth Estate Project, and partnerships with fellow consultancies, including Original Strategies.

// Background

Education.

  • Master of Arts in Global CommunicationThe George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political ScienceUniversity of Tennessee, Knoxville

Affiliations.

  • PresidentCharlottesville Pride
  • MemberPublic Relations Society of America
// Work together

Let's build the
next chapter.

Free 30-minute consultation. We'll talk through your goals, what you've tried, and whether High Holler is the right partner for the road ahead.

Schedule a conversation →
nick@highholler.co(865) 386-8244Charlottesville, VA