Meet The Palm Tree Type

Valeria L. Palmertree
Communications Consultant.
Professional Storyteller.

In case you can’t tell, I’m passionate about stories: finding them, reading them, writing them and sharing them. I have had the privilege of cultivating this passion professionally over the past 20 years as a strategic communicator, with a senior-level public relations career spanning travel, hospitality and corporate PR, both in-house and at international agencies.

My career began in the fast-paced, globally focused agency environments of Burson-Marsteller (now BCW Global) and Edelman before transitioning “in-house” to oversee communications programs for the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa and Visit Pensacola on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. I then spent more than five years “agency-side,” leading public relations efforts on behalf of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, Visit Virginia Beach, Virginia Tourism Corporation and Visit Alexandria.

My professional experiences have spanned crisis communications management during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (and now a global pandemic), leading media desk-side missions in Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, and New York City, and hosting culinary media experiences at the James Beard House.

In 2019, I launched The Palm Tree Type, an independent communications consultancy that helps clients craft resilient, resonant narratives rooted in their unique brand offerings. I believe that the most effective communication strategies–much like palm trees–are able to withstand the swift shifts of today’s media landscape. Over the past seven years, I have partnered with more than 30 brands across the hospitality, lifestyle, travel and professional services sectors to help unearth, craft and share their stories with the right audiences.

On my own time, I feel most at home where pen meets paper. Whether it’s journaling, reading or writing a poem or personal essay, the written word has long been a compass. My most grandiose aspiration is to one day publish a memoir and/or a collection of short essays (this little corner of the internet also helps me hold myself accountable to that daydream).

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, a Master of Arts in Strategic Communications from the University of West Florida, and a passion for good writing, good editing and good journalism. A native of Buenos Aires and raised in Miami Beach, I am also fluent in Spanish, Malbec, and Fútbol.

When I’m not immersed in storytelling, I most enjoy being outdoors, listening to live music, discovering new places, chasing sunsets and savoring/cooking delicious foods.

Always the optimist, I believe that connecting with and learning from one another is the surest way to break down barriers and spread joy. Consider this site my virtual palm tree branch of sorts.

Want to learn more about my consulting services? Please say hello [at] thepalmtreetype [dot] com.