ABOUT US
Clients First Marketing & Communications™ is a Texas-based agency network that enables clients to accelerate growth by increasing search visibility, driving leads, strengthening employee pipeline and loyalty and leading through crisis.
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John Clendening and Jeff Baum have known one another since the day John started at EDS (Electronic Data Systems), a $22 billion IT services company, one day after Jeff’s first day with the company. The two worked closely at EDS, with Jeff leading corporate/financial communications and John leading business/industry/major account communications, as part of the company’s Global Communications leadership team.
They have maintained a close relationship ever since, and they worked together again in later years when John led global communications for Unisys and Jeff led the account team for Hill & Knowlton Strategies, Unisys’ PR firm.
Need a hand? Let us know how we can help.
They have maintained a close relationship ever since, and they worked together again in later years when John led global communications for Unisys and Jeff led the account team for Hill & Knowlton Strategies, Unisys’ PR firm.
Need a hand? Let us know how we can help.
Texas and Beyond
Neither Jeff nor John — perhaps as evidenced by the above photo — are native Texans. But as the song says, they got here as fast as they could.
The economic miracle that is Texas is very real. If it were its own country (which some say it essentially is), Texas would be the eighth-largest economy in the world. The Lone Star State is now #1 in Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. If you build it, they will indeed come: Texas led the U.S. in population growth over the past 20 years, and by 2045 it is projected to be the nation’s most populous state.
What does this all mean for Clients First and its clients? If you are already headquartered in or near Dallas, we are right down the street from you – thus making working together that much easier. If you are looking to join the rush and move your headquarters here, we can help you build your local presence because we know the landscape – we have served, and continue to serve, with organizations ranging from local chambers to local schools to local civic groups. Not looking to move here, but just interested in doing more business here? We can help you with that as well – we can build and execute hyper-local campaigns to accelerate your business in any of the state’s massive markets.
We’re in the center of it all. We are equidistant from both coasts – meaning easy travel back and forth as needed. We are also surrounded by Dallas’ and Texas’ young, skilled and diverse labor force that is more than 15 million strong – and both growing and strengthening all the time thanks to the state’s ecosystem of world-class universities.
Don’t get us wrong. We serve clients no matter where they are located. Our network is filled with experts from all over the U.S. and across the world. Chances are we are in your neighborhood.
Let us show you why working with Clients First will not only be a good call – but your best call.
The economic miracle that is Texas is very real. If it were its own country (which some say it essentially is), Texas would be the eighth-largest economy in the world. The Lone Star State is now #1 in Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. If you build it, they will indeed come: Texas led the U.S. in population growth over the past 20 years, and by 2045 it is projected to be the nation’s most populous state.
What does this all mean for Clients First and its clients? If you are already headquartered in or near Dallas, we are right down the street from you – thus making working together that much easier. If you are looking to join the rush and move your headquarters here, we can help you build your local presence because we know the landscape – we have served, and continue to serve, with organizations ranging from local chambers to local schools to local civic groups. Not looking to move here, but just interested in doing more business here? We can help you with that as well – we can build and execute hyper-local campaigns to accelerate your business in any of the state’s massive markets.
We’re in the center of it all. We are equidistant from both coasts – meaning easy travel back and forth as needed. We are also surrounded by Dallas’ and Texas’ young, skilled and diverse labor force that is more than 15 million strong – and both growing and strengthening all the time thanks to the state’s ecosystem of world-class universities.
Don’t get us wrong. We serve clients no matter where they are located. Our network is filled with experts from all over the U.S. and across the world. Chances are we are in your neighborhood.
Let us show you why working with Clients First will not only be a good call – but your best call.
John J. Clendening
John J. Clendening is a founding principal of Clients First Marketing & Communications™, a Texas-based agency network that enables clients to accelerate growth by increasing search visibility, driving leads, strengthening employee pipeline and loyalty and leading through crisis. He is also a co-host of the “On the Offense” podcast and an assistant professor of advertising and brand strategy in the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas.
Clendening has led global corporate marketing and communications teams for five Global 50 (Siemens) and current or former Fortune 500 (Unisys, EDS, Honeywell and Avery Dennison) companies. He has also served as head of marketing and communications for Texas Capital, a full-service financial services firm, and has led global corporate marketing and communications for a private equity-owned software business. Prior to his client-side career, he worked for public relations agencies including Hill & Knowlton. He began his career as an award-winning journalist.
Through these roles Clendening has led the development of marketing and communications strategies and the execution of these strategies through functions and capabilities including advertising and creative; brand strategy and messaging architecture; content marketing; crisis communications; digital marketing; executive communications and speechwriting; government/public affairs; internal communications and employee engagement; M&A/financial communications; marketing research; public relations/media relations; recruitment marketing; and social media strategy and management. He is a bridge builder and an empathetic leader who blends a results-oriented approach with a collaborative style.
Clendening serves or has served the CMO Council; the National Advisory Board for the Elon University School of Communications; the Arthur W. Page Society, the premier global professional association for senior strategic communication leaders; and the Dallas Roundtable, a peer group for DFW-based marketing and communications leaders. He is a founding member of the Dallas chapter of Blend, a cross-functional leadership community that brings together C-level enterprise leaders from across industries.
Clendening is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism and a Master of Business Administration and for which he served on the Alumni Association Board of Governors. He is the author of three books: Julia’s Angels: Chasing One Last Chance at Justice Nearly 50 Years Later (iUniverse, 2025); Simple Glory: The Search for the Soul of an American Town (iUniverse, 2018); and Love Letters to Sports: Moments in Time and the Ties That Bind (iUniverse, 2011).
Clendening is married to Jean Voute. They have five children and live in Dallas.
Through these roles Clendening has led the development of marketing and communications strategies and the execution of these strategies through functions and capabilities including advertising and creative; brand strategy and messaging architecture; content marketing; crisis communications; digital marketing; executive communications and speechwriting; government/public affairs; internal communications and employee engagement; M&A/financial communications; marketing research; public relations/media relations; recruitment marketing; and social media strategy and management. He is a bridge builder and an empathetic leader who blends a results-oriented approach with a collaborative style.
Clendening serves or has served the CMO Council; the National Advisory Board for the Elon University School of Communications; the Arthur W. Page Society, the premier global professional association for senior strategic communication leaders; and the Dallas Roundtable, a peer group for DFW-based marketing and communications leaders. He is a founding member of the Dallas chapter of Blend, a cross-functional leadership community that brings together C-level enterprise leaders from across industries.
Clendening is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism and a Master of Business Administration and for which he served on the Alumni Association Board of Governors. He is the author of three books: Julia’s Angels: Chasing One Last Chance at Justice Nearly 50 Years Later (iUniverse, 2025); Simple Glory: The Search for the Soul of an American Town (iUniverse, 2018); and Love Letters to Sports: Moments in Time and the Ties That Bind (iUniverse, 2011).
Clendening is married to Jean Voute. They have five children and live in Dallas.
Jeff Baum
Jeff Baum is a founding principal of Clients First Marketing & Communications™, a Texas-based agency network that enables clients to accelerate growth by increasing search visibility, driving leads, strengthening employee pipeline and loyalty and leading through crisis. He is the host of the "On the Record" podcast, a co-host of the “On the Offense” podcast and an adjunct professor of advertising and brand strategy in the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas.
Baum has led global communications teams for three current or former Fortune 500 companies, including EDS. As vice president of communications for EDS, which was then the world’s leading independent IT services company, he managed a $10 million budget and a global team of more than 80 employees. He also led communications for the company’s EDS Byron Nelson Championship sponsorship and numerous M&A transactions, culminating with its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard.
Prior to joining EDS, Baum’s corporate roles including directing financial media relations for Lucent, which was then the most widely held stock in the U.S. He also served in communications, media relations and government affairs for Warner-Lambert, in the process promoting some of the world’s best-selling drugs, and he managed high-profile crises. Baum has worked for premier public relations agencies including Hill & Knowlton, for which he advised clients in industries ranging from technology to health care to higher education. He began his career as a staffer on Capitol Hill later served as a lobbyist covering everything from healthcare to the environment.
Through these roles Baum has led the development of marketing and communications strategies and the execution of these strategies through functions and capabilities including advertising and creative; brand strategy and messaging architecture; content marketing; crisis communications; digital marketing; executive communications and speechwriting; government/public affairs; internal communications and employee engagement; M&A/financial communications; marketing research; public relations/media relations; recruitment marketing; and social media strategy and management.
Baum is a graduate of Penn State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. The university’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications named him Alumnus of the Year in 2007. He has served on the boards of the Dallas Zoo, the Dallas Theatre Center and the North Texas Commission.
Jeff and his wife, Lori, have two sons and live in Plano, Texas.
Prior to joining EDS, Baum’s corporate roles including directing financial media relations for Lucent, which was then the most widely held stock in the U.S. He also served in communications, media relations and government affairs for Warner-Lambert, in the process promoting some of the world’s best-selling drugs, and he managed high-profile crises. Baum has worked for premier public relations agencies including Hill & Knowlton, for which he advised clients in industries ranging from technology to health care to higher education. He began his career as a staffer on Capitol Hill later served as a lobbyist covering everything from healthcare to the environment.
Through these roles Baum has led the development of marketing and communications strategies and the execution of these strategies through functions and capabilities including advertising and creative; brand strategy and messaging architecture; content marketing; crisis communications; digital marketing; executive communications and speechwriting; government/public affairs; internal communications and employee engagement; M&A/financial communications; marketing research; public relations/media relations; recruitment marketing; and social media strategy and management.
Baum is a graduate of Penn State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. The university’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications named him Alumnus of the Year in 2007. He has served on the boards of the Dallas Zoo, the Dallas Theatre Center and the North Texas Commission.
Jeff and his wife, Lori, have two sons and live in Plano, Texas.
Testimonials
"Jeff worked with me to increase sales-enablement marcom at our company. The work enabled us to strengthen our strategic outreach to specific industries after the pandemic."
Springfield Lewis
Call Center Company Executive
"In that time I had the pleasure of watching his seemingly effortless mastery of building and maintaining relationships with reporters at Tier One media..."
Stephen Holder
internal communications Leader
"In the face of an issue that is brewing or currently exploding on the pages of Tier One business or trade media, Jeff is the guy to have in your corner."
Nancy Voith
it services executive
