Susan Thomas Email & Phone Number

Indio, CA, US

1655 East 3300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84106

• Serve as Public Information Officer (PIO)
• Excel at media relations, positive media coverage, and social media
• Collaborate with and advise school governing cabinet and division directors
• Direct and supervise public relations team, manage budget
• Develop and execute communications strategic plan
• Plan and manage large events (in-person and virtual)

• Lead planner in the State Emergency Operations Center, Planning Section Chief for Emergency Support Function (ESF #5) Planning and Information
• Managed committees and led programs collaborating with hundreds of stakeholders
• Authored the State Emergency Operations Plan and the weekly Utah Situation Reports
• Developed and maintained continuity/communication plans for 99 state agencies
• Supervised the planning section team members and budget
• Served at the Department level for two projects as Public Relations Strategist to the DPS Commissioner including Operation Rio Grande

• Created/implemented a successful internal/external communications plan
• Recruited, trained, and led a statewide PIO team
• Spokesperson for the American Red Cross Utah region
• Later, recruited and elected as board member of this organization 2018-2022

• Fundraising for events and education programs. Gained multiple media sponsorships.
• Media Relations: Frequently prepared and distributed successful news releases, story ideas and photographs to media, as well as to internal staff, partners and stakeholders.
• Served as spokesperson for the Annual Park City Arts Festival and Kimball Art Center.
• Managed statewide and national marketing budget, as well as monthly and annual event budgets
• Planning team for the annual Park City Kimball Arts Festival event, hosting 40,000 attendees.
• Increased positive media coverage to 200+ positive stories per year.

• Strategic and operational management monthly newspaper
• Increased advertising sales and monthly circulation to 20,000+.
• Served as writer and editor-in-chief for this monthly 16-page publication.
• Managed workforce including writers, photographers, distributors and independent contractors.
• Sold the business to the Valley Journals in 2004.

Oregon, Idaho, New Hampshire And Utah

TV News reporter/anchor/producer for 10 years.

B.A., Communications, Honors Program

Activities and Societies: Edward R. Murrow Communications Center, Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, W.S.U. Honors ProgramSecond Major, Foreign.

Education record