Charlotte King
Charlotte King
Charlotte King is a sustainability and environmental consultant with over 30 years of experience in project management, forestry, sustainability, and communications and marketing. She has worked for numerous organizations with her company Snowden & King Marketing Communications, including but not limited to Payless, Motorola, AT&T, Shell, the National Wildlife Federation, and the United States Forest Service, among numerous other municipalities, states, and local organizations. King is President, Senior Advisor, Creative Director, Sustainability Practitioner, and Chief Climate Advisor for Snowden & King Marketing Communications, providing serves related to the environment, marketing, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Just because many are talking about a perspective doesn’t mean it is equitable, well researched, or global” 
- Charlotte King, 2024.
King, C., 2023. The Future of Work at the Intersection of Climate & Equity in Socio-Economic Disparities, Vulnerable Communities, and the Future of Work and Entrepreneurship, Medgars Evers College, pp. 230-255. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6990-3.ch013
Brown, M. A., Soni, A., Doshi, A., King, C., 2020. The persistence of high energy burdens: A bibliometric analysis of vulnerability, poverty, and exclusion in the United States, Energy Research & Social Science, 70(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101756
Charlotte King was born and raised in St. Louis. She comes from a family of farmers, so agriculture has always been a part of her life. From a young age, her mother was committed to building knowledge through teaching, reading, and many other activities outside of school. Such community education fueled her and many others, including Black teachers. King was among the first groups of Black kids to attend her high school, Lutheran North High School. However, it was not until later that she realized her environmental interests.
She attended Boston University for her Bachelor’s in International & Comparative Studies. In 2017, King completed a Certificate in Marketing Strategy from Cornell and a Certificate in Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response from the Centers for Disease Control (CCDC). She was recruited by the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Master’s program in Sustainable Energy & Environmental Management at age 64, earning her master’s in 2021. Her capstone research looked at the impact of COVID-19 on aviation carbon emissions. She holds certificates from Cornell University in Marketing Strategy and the Centers for Disease Control in Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response.
King’s career as a trailblazer began early. In 1973, she was the first African American female Congressional Page, and she was mentored by Shirley Chisholm and the Congressional Black Caucus. King previously served as a Project Manager at Maritz in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1982 to 1989, where she was responsible for designing budgets of up to $2 million and oversaw marketing campaigns for brands including Seven-Up and AT&T.
In 1990, she founded Snowden & King Marketing Communications and was the firm’s Creative Director. She worked as a senior consultant for numerous organizations, as a lobbyist, trainer, and board chair in community engagement and external affairs. As a consultant, she lobbied Congress on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation regarding clean air and subsidies and wrote numerous articles on marketing and the environment. She further provided diversity training for organizations, including McDonald’s, Junior Achievement, and The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
From 2010 to 2012, she served as Board Chair of Sustainable Neighborhood Development Strategies Inc., where she worked to promote affordable housing, sustainability, and economic opportunity in Pittsburgh, Atlanta. While working as a consultant, she received the distinguished service award from the Georgia Urban Forest Council. Other notable achievements during her career as a consultant include providing consulting for marketing for the Georgia Forestry Commission, creating the first forestry marketing guidebook for over 300 tree groups, launching the annual strategic initiative for Atlanta Fire Rescue, and creating an international exchange program for the Jacksonville Port Authority, among many other notable roles.
King’s work and expertise are very highly regarded in the field for her work with reputable organizations including but not limited to the U.S. Forest Service, the National Arbor Day Foundation, the State of New Mexico, the National Urban and Community Advisory Council, the National Wildlife Federation, Motorola, Equifax, and Shell. With Snowden & King Marketing Communications, she serves as their President, Senior Advisor, and Creative Director and provides consulting on sustainability and the environment. Since 2019, King has been President, Senior Advisor + Sustainability & Environmental Consulting for Snowden & King.
King’s dedication to climate change and environmental justice has resulted in numerous career highlights and accomplishments. She was one of the first black writers published in Glamour Magazine in 1987 and was featured in Jet Magazine. She also served as the first Black writer/producer for Maritz Communications Company, where she worked on numerous Fortune 500 campaigns, including Shell, Amoco, and the Olympics. As a producer, she produced the first marketing video for the Junior League that garnered the grand opening for Neiman Marcus, for which she got shunned. Other accomplishments and highlights in her career include creating the first forestry marketing guidebook for the Georgia Forestry Commission, which was showcased by the U.S. Forest Service across the nation, serving as a project manager for the Legislative Forum on the Coast of Mississippi after Katrina, helping bridge urban forestry and sustainability, participating in training programs and speaking engagements, and publishing numerous articles. Being the only Black person in these types of spaces is often an accomplishment. Through her work, she is proud to have been able to reach and help so many people domestically and internationally.
King cites Sue Probart, Founder of Tree New Mexico, as an important figure in her career. They first met at the National Tree Conference, where King was a presenter. Most conference attendees were not listening to King, but Probart stood up and said, “Please shut up and listen to this incredible information that we need” (2024). This experience was a “game-changer” for King. That same day, Probart introduced her to Joe Wilson, Chair of the National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council. These two individuals were significant mentors in her career. They helped her get hired across the U.S., secure funding for her work, and, most importantly, showcased her work and made it possible for her to “learn AND lead” (2024).
In addition to being mentored, King has had the opportunity to mentor numerous people. She has mentored groups such as the West End Watershed Alliance, young forestry leaders, and other creatives. In these mentorships, she seeks to help people get out silos, learn how to be effective mentees, and learn the value of going into uncomfortable spaces.
Throughout her career, King was nominated for programs and awards of which she was not initially aware. Because of this, she has made it her mission to nominate other professionals to boards, leadership programs, and awards. She has never met some of the people she has nominated, but she wanted to advocate for people who would not ordinarily be selected. It is her goal to normalize increasing opportunities beyond usual prospects. King emphasizes the importance of always paying it forward.
King emphasizes the importance of continuous learning as something that we can control. Young professionals should seek opportunities to learn beyond the internet – in the world, with our hands and minds. She advises people to take risks and read books, always being open to learning. Additionally, she articulates the power of listening and observing.
Young professionals should also cross reference quantitative and qualitative data and information, stating that “just because many are talking about a perspective doesn’t mean it is equitable, well researched, or global” (2024). Doing so can help you show up more prepared and ready to work. She further advises young professionals to “always bring something to the table – volunteer, share information, take responsibility, donate, be prepared, [and] raise your hand” (2024). Nevertheless, most importantly, King emphasizes being respectful, kind, and never giving up.
Charlotte King, MS Sustainability. LinkedIn. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2023 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottekingsk/
Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2023. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.