Sara Graf 

Vice President, Sustainability, Culture & Communications

Estes Express Lines

As Estes’ Vice President of Sustainability, Culture, and Communications, Sara Graf is responsible for brand, marketing, internal and external communications, public relations, reputation management, creative services, sustainability, and corporate philanthropy. Collaborating with the company’s primary business areas, she helps lead, inspire, develop, and implement strategies and programs that advance Estes’ sustainability goals, strengthen its culture, and elevate its brand and reputation.

In the sustainability realm, Sara spearheaded Estes’ inaugural carbon footprint reporting and annual sustainability report. She also played a pivotal role in establishing standardized shipment-level emissions reporting in the U.S. LTL industry through a partnership with SMC³ and currently serves as advisory board chair for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Dock2Door coalition.

Sara also oversees the company’s crisis communications, investor communications, recruitment marketing, employee and customer listening programs, and corporate chaplain program. She reports directly to President and Chief Operating Officer Webb Estes and works closely with him on a variety of strategic initiatives and special projects.

Through Sara’s leadership and vision, Estes has transformed the ways it stays connected to its teammates in the digital age, including key employee engagement initiatives such as a mobile communication app and intranet, companywide digital signage displays, podcasts, and a revamped careers website. Her work has helped grow the company’s family-inspired culture, celebrate its employees, reinforce the importance of great work, lead Estes through pivotal change, and strengthen the employer brand and reputation.

Before joining Estes in 2016, Sara held communications and marketing positions in the health care, real estate, and engineering/construction industries. Sara is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, where she majored in English with a concentration in Communications. 

Follow Sara on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/saragraf.