Bethany Leytham

Bethany (Beth) Leytham is the principal and owner of The Leytham Group, a strategic public relations and issues management consulting practice. She counsels on communications efforts on behalf of a broad base of private and public sector clients in the Tampa Bay area, including extensive work with Covanta Energy, the Tampa Housing Authority, Bright House Networks, PCL Contractors, Cigna, Mindshare Technologies, Communications Equity Associates, American Traffic Solutions and Newland Communities.

Beth has developed a niche in public affairs and crisis/issues management, advising on high profile and politically charged matters such as the desalination water plant, the Leroy Selmon Expressway Reversible Lanes foundation collapse and subsequent opening, Central Park revitalization, county task forces on affordable housing, economic development, and transportation as well as a host of other potentially contentious matters. In 2004, she was “crowned” Queen of Damage Control by The Maddux Report, a regional business magazine, and in 2009, Florida Trend magazine named her among thirty “Must Know Contacts in Tampa Bay.”

Transitioning to her own firm evolved naturally, as Beth spent several years as Vice President of Public Affairs for the Greater Tampa Chamber. In this role, Beth oversaw all external communications and public policy advocacy, including public information and community outreach efforts; the development and implementation of the Chamber's local and legislative agenda; all media relations efforts; and, the creation and production of communications materials mailed and distributed by the Chamber.

She graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, IN, with a bachelors of science degree in political science. She is active in the community and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Metropolitan Ministries, chairing Communications, sits on the steering committee for the Tampa Riverwalk, chairing Communications, and was 2010 appointee to the Charter Review Board of Hillsborough County. Beth is a Class of ‘99 alumni of Leadership Tampa and a former Guardian Ad Litem.