With over a decade of experience driving impactful digital strategies, Tabitha currently serves as Director, Social & Community Management at Church’s Texas Chicken. Throughout her distinguished career, she has spearheaded innovative campaigns for major brands including Weber Shandwick, Truist, The Home Depot, Lincoln Financial Group, and Cox Media Group. Her comprehensive expertise spans organic and paid social, influencer marketing, employee advocacy, and community management.
Tabitha Coombs: Southern Roots, Digital Reach
Yet no matter how broad her digital footprint grows, her approach remains grounded in her roots. From her leadership as PR chair for the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) at Georgia Southern University to leading global brand communities, Tabitha views digital engagement through the lens of Southern hospitality. For her, building vibrant online spaces is simply bringing that warmth into the digital age—making sure every audience member feels seen, valued, and right at home.
- Would love some quotes on how growing up in the South influenced your life of storytelling and communication.
I’m a proud Georgia Peach who grew up in a family full of yappers who were very expressive in their communication. I learned the power of using emotive language in storytelling from them. When I wasn’t being a sponge in conversations with my family, my ears were flooded with the anecdotes woven into gospel music, like those in the Georgia Mass Choir’s song “Come On in the Room.”
- Also, could you give some insight on how your southern upbringing influenced your approach to building community digitally?
Southern hospitality is in my DNA, and it shows up in everything I touch. A huge part of building digital communities is the ability to meet your audience where they are with a message that will make them want to stay, or as a true southerner would say, “make them feel right at home.” I apply the southern philosophy on how to treat guests to my approach to building online communities.
- Favorite Travel Destination in the South and why?
Outside of the beautiful cities Georgia has to offer, I enjoy traveling to Miami for its beaches and cultural diversity, which give you the experience of being in a different country even though you’re still in the United States.
- Favorite place to explore or get inspired in Atlanta?
I really enjoy people watching on the Beltline and checking out the exhibits at the High Museum. Both experiences often provide me with the perspectives I’ve been missing, triggering some of my most creative thoughts.
- Favorite Southern books you love or are currently reading?
The Color Purple is my favorite southern book not only because it depicts how integral sisterly love often is to the triumph of Black women, but also because the novel was ahead of its time in its depiction of intersectionality.
- Southern women who inspired you to get into media and communications field?
My older sister inspired me to enter the media and communications field. Although we’re only two years apart, she’s my role model in so many ways. Our parents didn’t go to college, so she is the reason I even knew to believe a successful career in this industry was possible for me.
- How did your participation in NCNW influence your understanding of building community in person and digitally?
I was the PR chair of NCNW as a student at Georgia Southern University, and I played a pivotal role in driving awareness of our monthly events and overall presence on campus. This position laid the foundation for my understanding that building community starts with making people feel seen, heard, and valued. Whether I’m connecting with people in person or behind a screen, I still aim to create an environment that feels welcoming, encourages meaningful connection, and gives people a reason to keep coming back.
In the end, Tabitha Coombs isn’t just running campaigns or managing feeds—she’s pulling up a rocking chair and bringing the warmth of a Georgia porch conversation straight into the digital world. Her journey is a reminder that the real secret to engaging people online doesn’t lie in complex algorithms or chase-the-trend strategy. It’s rooted in something far simpler and far more enduring: the power of human connection, a bit of heart, and making everyone feel right at home.
