Marketing communications consultant Susan Oates joined the DBCC team in August 2009 to manage the agency’s media relations, advertising, event promotion, and publications. Introduced to DBCC while on a writing assignment, she became familiar with the agency and was inspired to become more actively engaged in its mission. Her goal is now to maximize positive exposure for DBCC to increase awareness and funding of the organization in order to help broaden its reach of programs, services, and support for research.
Susan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication from West Chester University and has built a career in communications, having worked in both non-profit and corporate arenas. Career experiences have included promoting travel and tourism for the Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and Chester County regions and for private clients in the hospitality industry; meeting planning for major financial and pharmaceutical companies including Merrill Lynch and Zeneca; strategic internal communications for U.S. senior sales leadership at AstraZeneca; and – more recently – serving as principal of Oates Communications, LLC supporting non-profit organizations in the Wilmington area.
As a freelance writer, Susan has received state and national awards for her work with Delaware Today magazine from the Delaware Press Association (DPA), the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW), and the City & Regional Magazine Association (CRMA). She is a member of DPA, NFPW, and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
In her free time, she serves as board chair of ACRA (Arden Community Recreation Association) and a Cub Scout den leader, she delights in spending time with her son, and she enjoys studying piano, yoga and karate.