DALLAS / FORT WORTH – May 21, 2026 – Fort Worth Inc. Magazine recently named Colby Walton, chairman and CEO of North Texas-based public relations firm Cooksey Communications, to The 500, a list of the 500 most influential figures in the Greater Fort Worth area. This is the fifth consecutive year Walton has been honored in the Professional Services: Ad/PR/Marketing category.
Colby Walton
An all-encompassing list, The 500 (previously known as The 400) highlights top executives who wield significant influence in Tarrant County across a wide range of categories, including industry, philanthropy, nonprofits, government and public policy, economic development, professional services, education, civic affairs, arts, religion, sports and media, or within their own spheres.
“I’m honored to be named one of the most influential leaders in Tarrant County, alongside so many visionary leaders,” said Walton. “Cooksey has had the privilege of working with many of the corporate and civic leaders named on this list, and I believe our region continues to experience unparalleled success because of them. It’s especially meaningful this year because our long-time clients Hillwood Chairman Ross Perot, Jr. and President Mike Berry are being honored at the event as the Persons of the Year.”
For more than three decades, Cooksey has represented many of Fort Worth’s, Tarrant County’s and the entire North Texas region’s leading businesses, nonprofits and public sector entities. This includes significant engagements on behalf of the City of Fort Worth, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau (now Visit Fort Worth), Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, Tarrant Transportation Summit, Hillwood/AllianceTexas, Freese and Nichols, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, The Gatehouse, United Way of Tarrant County, and many others.
During his nearly 30-year tenure at Cooksey, Walton has helped establish and grow the agency’s proficiency in professional services marketing and municipal communications for clients facing an array of complex, high-stakes public relations issues.
Walton has also been involved in numerous professional and community service organizations outside the agency, including volunteer work on behalf of Leadership Fort Worth, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, the City of Colleyville, the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, the Duke University Alumni Club of North Texas and the Virginia Morris Kincaid Foundation.
About Cooksey®
Cooksey Communications is a leading, Texas-based strategic communications firm with over three decades of essential expertise in three core practice areas: (1) Professional Services; (2) Public Sector; and (3) Real Estate & Development. Cooksey was recognized as the 2024 Small Agency of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Dallas chapter and earned a 2025 Pegasus Award from PRSA Dallas for its Public Affairs work, in addition to numerous other industry accolades. For more information, visit www.CookseyPR.com.