Faces of FPRA: Member Spotlight – Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC
As the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA celebrates its 40th anniversary, we recognize that our Chapter’s continued success is made possible through the dedication and impact of our members. Throughout our 40th year, we are proudly shining the spotlight on our members, celebrating their journeys, expertise and contributions to our professional community.
For our March member spotlight, we’re hearing from Chapter member Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC as she reflects on decades of experience spanning broadcast news, print journalism and public relations:
My career in public relations spans almost 50 years, including the past 34 years as owner of my own public relations and marketing firm, Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L.C.
Many people may not know that public relations is actually my second career. My first career was as a reporter and editor for The News-Press in Fort Myers for 13 years, where I worked as the county government reporter, business editor and any other role they needed, culminating in becoming the first Public Relations Director of The News-Press and being tapped for the launch team of USA Today.
But my professional story starts long before my full-time work. I have been writing professionally since I was 14 years old, starting as a stringer for a weekly newspaper in North Fort Myers where I wrote a weekly column about high school news. This weekly column caught the attention of the city editor at The News-Press who asked me to write a similar weekly column for The News-Press. That turned into working six summers at The News-Press from high school through college.
When I graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Journalism and a M.A. in Mass Communications, I returned to Fort Myers and got my best job offer not from The News-Press but from a pair of radio stations – WMYR and WHEW – the top rock and country stations in the market at that time. The owner asked me to launch a local news department, delivering five local newscasts a day. I was the first female voice to broadcast in Southwest Florida. After three years, The News-Press lured me back to become the government reporter. I churned out a lot of copy, five to six stories a day, when Publisher Paul Flynn approached me with the idea of starting a public relations and promotion department at The News-Press, which was a fairly new concept for newspapers. I began my tenure as the Public Relations and Promotion Director in 1976 – my first job in public relations!
With a staff of five, we developed events, ads and messaging to promote news coverage and boost circulation. We also led a national newspaper campaign to free American hostages held in Iran in 1979, a massive effort that received special commendations from former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. We produced the largest grass-roots fundraising campaign in the country to preserve the Statue of Liberty. With those accomplishments fresh on the minds of Gannett executives, I was tapped to be part of the launch team of USA Today. I spent three years traveling the country setting up offices of USA Today in major cities throughout the U.S. It was a grueling schedule that required 16-20 hour workdays, seven days a week. Sleep was a precious commodity. I requested — received — a one-year sabbatical, but I never returned to The News-Press and Gannett, although I still love the people who continue to bring us the daily news.
I share all of this background information because it was these early experiences that led me to have the skills and financial acumen to start my own public relations firm, now 34 years old. We have represented hundreds of businesses and non-profits over the years, including higher education, healthcare, financial institutions, and more. Each one has taught me more about how to be a good steward of their brand and how to increase their voice in the market.
Because of FPRA, I have taken that education to another level by testing for and obtaining the APR and CPRC designations. I have tested the value of the campaigns I have developed by entering them in the Image Awards competition. Why? I felt I still needed to prove to myself that I could bring my A game to every client I work with. Maybe you feel that way too.
Because of FPRA, I have more than 200 Image Awards, Awards of Distinctions, and Judges’ Awards to my credit, including FPRA’s highest award the Dick Pope All Florida Golden Image Award, in addition to Professional of the Year and, most recently, the Lifetime Achievement Award.
To younger public relations professionals, this is my advice:
- Never stop learning. Seek out every opportunity to enhance your skills by obtaining the APR and CPRC credentials, learning from webinars, and listening to others who have traveled this public relations path before you.
- Broaden your network. Attend Chamber meetings, business after-hours and other networking functions. You never know who you will meet who will give you your next opportunity.
- Volunteer. I was a trustee and board chair of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation (now known as The Collaboratory) for 28 years. Giving your time, talent and treasure will acquaint you with others who share your values.
- Never take no for an answer. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish something that you truly want. Like the journalism professor who once told me “women don’t belong in the newsroom,” show them that they are wrong.
- Finally, Believe in yourself – always.
I hope my journey has given you some ideas on how you can advance your own career. “Be good, do good and goodness will follow” is my motto. Now it can be yours too.
Interested in being featured in a member spotlight? Email us!