Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC,
is the president and owner of Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L.C., a full
service public relations and marketing firm serving Southwest Florida
businesses and non-profit organizations.
She is one of Florida’s most honored public relations professionals with
more than 200 awards for her work, including all three state-wide Grand Image
Awards from the Florida Public Relations Association, and special commendations
from former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter for her national
newspaper campaign to free American hostages held in Iran. She has more than 35 years experience in
media and marketing, having spent the better part of her career as a news and
marketing executive with Gannett Co.
In
her current role, Susan works with businesses, both large and small, as well as
non-profit organizations to help them accomplish their marketing goals through
innovative, creative solutions. For
example, she created the Grande Dames Tea for the PACE Center for Girls, the
Edison-Ford Gala for the Edison-Ford Winter Estates Foundation, and is one of
the organizers of the annual Community Easter Sunrise Service at City of Palms
Park, the annual Community Prayer Breakfast for 1,400 community leaders on the
National Day of Prayer, and several annual events for CCMI presented by Sam
Galloway, Jr.
Prior
to opening her public relations firm 1991, Susan served on the launch team of USA TODAY
while working simultaneously as Marketing Director of The News-Press in
Fort Myers. During her USA TODAY
tenure, she orchestrated the USA TODAY launch party on the White House
lawn for 8,000 guests, including the President of the United States and the speaker
of the U.S. House of Representatives. She also was part of the Blue Ribbon
Panel that opened the first 15 markets for USA TODAY.
In the area of civic
involvement, Susan is a Trustee Emeritus and past Chairman of the Board of the
Southwest Florida Community Foundation, an Advisory Board member of Grandeur
Magazine and the Above Board Chamber of Florida, an inaugural member of the
Impact Initiative of the Golisano Children’s Hospital, and a charter member of
the Tiger Bay Club, among many other civic organizations.
Susan has earned both a
Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and a Master of Arts degree in mass
communications from the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she
continues to be involved as a Distinguished Member of the President’s Council.
“Be good, do good, and goodness will follow,” is her life-long motto.
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