# Emily Hite

> Emily Meade Hite, MPH, is the chief executive officer of Atlanta-based Banyan Communications. After nearly two decades in public-health communications and organizational strategy, including senior work at ICF, she joined Banyan in 2020 and helped more than triple its revenue. In April 2026 she became the second leader in the consultancy's history, taking over from founder Sally Deval while arguing for stewardship, earned trust, operational rigor and a less performative version of executive leadership.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Banyan Communications
- **Organizations:** Banyan Communications, ICF, Moving in the Spirit, Girls on the Run Atlanta, Friends to the Forlorn, LifeLine Animal Project
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree, New College of Florida, Master of Public Health, University of South Florida
- **Known for:** Helped more than triple Banyan Communications' revenue between joining in 2020 and becoming CEO in 2026., Managed portfolios of up to $69 million and teams of more than 40 while at ICF., Became the second chief executive in Banyan Communications' history and the first successor to founder Sally Deval.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2020** — Rose to Senior Director at ICF, supporting federal public-sector agencies through communications, evaluation, training and technical-assistance work; managed portfolios of up to $69 million and teams of more than 40.
- **2015** — Co-authored a Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice article examining the role of a community advisory board in an NIH Center of Excellence.
- **2020** — Joined Banyan Communications as Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy.
- **2020-2026** — Helped more than triple Banyan's revenue, expand its reach in national markets and strengthen partnerships with major federal agencies.
- **2025** — Joined the board of Moving in the Spirit.
- **2026** — Named Chief Executive Officer of Banyan Communications in the first leadership transition in the firm's 30-year history.

## Achievements

- Helped more than triple Banyan Communications' revenue between joining in 2020 and becoming CEO in 2026.
- Managed portfolios of up to $69 million and teams of more than 40 while at ICF.
- Became the second chief executive in Banyan Communications' history and the first successor to founder Sally Deval.
- Received ICF's Business Development Award in 2018.
- Received ICF's inaugural Endurance Award for volunteer service in 2016.
- Served as chair of the Girls on the Run Atlanta board of directors from July 2015 to June 2016.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Banyan Communications named Hite chief executive officer as founder Sally Deval moved to chair of the board.
- **2026-04** — Hite publicly reflected on resisting a formal, overly curated CEO persona and keeping joy, connection and candor visible in her leadership.
- **2026-06** — Hite wrote publicly about respect and trust at work, arguing that treating employees as people should be a baseline rather than a political stance.

## Links

- Website: https://www.banyancom.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-hite-banyan

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/emily-hite
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-22