Houston Media Professional Jackie Gil Joins AARP Texas as Associate State Director of Communications

Media professional Jackie Gil joins AARP Texas as Associate State Director of Communications. In her new role, she will support the thriving Houston and Austin communities by leading communication campaigns, managing media relations, and crafting compelling narratives highlighting the impactful work being done by AARP Texas teams.

"I'm delighted to join AARP because the values instilled in me revolve around serving people, which is why this organization resonates so deeply with me," said Gil. "Through strategic communication and passion for storytelling, I aim to showcase AARP's vital role in the lives of millions of older Americans."

Rosalinda Martinez, the Director of Community Strategy at AARP Texas, is excited to welcome Gil to the team. Martinez said Gil's wealth of communication experience and energy will be an asset in elevating AARP Texas's communication strategy and building upon the success of AARP's social mission to educate and engage people 50-plus and their families.

Gil joins AARP after an extensive public relations and journalism career. She leveraged her skills to add value at the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) as a bilingual spokesperson, special events projects manager, award-winning content creator, and host of the county's TV show "METRO Matters."

Gil said she developed two essential skills that would translate to any communications role: improving her Spanish language proficiency and mastering crisis communication. Most recently, these skills were crucial in ensuring that the Spanish-speaking community, which relied on public transportation during disasters like Hurricane Harvey, Winter Storm Uri, and the COVID-19 pandemic, was served.

Additionally, Gil has held different positions in the TV media industry, including helicopter photographer for Houston's KPRC-TV 2 NBC, anchor and U.S.-Mexico border correspondent for KGNS-TV 8 NBC in Laredo, Texas, and editor and multi-media journalist at KBTX-TV 3 CBS in Bryan-College Station.

Gil earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Houston.

Gil has won numerous industry awards for her public relations and video work from the Public Relations Society of America, the American Public Transportation Association, the American Advertising Federation, and the MarCom Awards.

Outside of work, Gil resides in Houston with her husband and two children on what she fondly calls her "urban farm," with free-roaming peacocks and pecan trees.