Experience

Clark College

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Communications Consultant

  • Nov 2019 - Present



Susan Parrish Writing

• Vancouver, Washington metro area

• Freelance Writer

  • 2010 - Present



FISH of Vancouver

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Grant Writer

  • Sep 2019 - Dec 2022



The La Grande Observer and Ruralite Magazine (Oregon Trail Electric Co-op)

• Eastern Oregon counties: Baker, Grant, Harney, union and Wallowa

• Freelance Journalist

  • Oct 2016 - Sep 2018

  Freelance reporter covering rural education, energy, agriculture, business, wildfires, conservation, innovation and rural communities Freelance reporter covering rural education, energy, agriculture, business, wildfires, conservation, innovation and rural communities



The Columbian

• Education Reporter

  • Sep 2012 - Aug 2016

  2014 C.B. Blethen Memorial Award for Dintinguished Newspaper Reporting: Feature Writing, Sept. 2014.My beat covered education news in Clark County, Washington, and particularly the Vancouver, Evergreen and Battle Ground school districts as well as Washington State University Vancouver and Clark College, the Washington School for the Blind and Washington School for the Deaf.

• Neighborhood News Coordinator

  • Feb 2012 - Nov 2012



The Historic Trust

• United States
• Philanthropic Fundraising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Communications Manager

  • May 2007 - Oct 2011

  Media relations, writing web content for consolidating four websites into one branded site, marketing, messaging, branding, writing and editing, web content management, event and venue photography, editing quarterly magazine, social media messaging, tourism venue marketing, media pitching, retail marketing and management for Visitor Center bookstore at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Media relations, writing web content for consolidating four websites into one branded site, marketing, messaging, branding, writing and editing, web content management, event and venue photography, editing quarterly magazine, social media messaging, tourism venue marketing, media pitching, retail marketing and management for Visitor Center bookstore at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.



UrbanWords Group

• Senior Associate

  • Aug 2006 - Apr 2007

  Public relations, writing and editing, public involvement Public relations, writing and editing, public involvement



Great Northwest Book Promotions, a book marketing company

• Portland, Oregon metro area

• Principal & Marketing Director

  • Jan 2002 - Jul 2006

  Created and implemented book publicity strategies and campaigns for clients including an imprint of Random House. Work included scheduling bookstore tours, pitching media interviews, mailing advance reading copies to secure pre-publication book reviews and buzz, media kits, book launches.. Taught book publicity workshops at regional and national conferences and workshops including Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Western Writers of America, and Willamette Writers. Created and implemented book publicity strategies and campaigns for clients including an imprint of Random House. Work included scheduling bookstore tours, pitching media interviews, mailing advance reading copies to secure pre-publication book reviews and buzz, media kits, book launches.. Taught book publicity workshops at regional and national conferences and workshops including Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Western Writers of America, and Willamette Writers.



American Red Cross

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Community Relations Director

  • Sep 2000 - Jan 2002

  On that horrific morning of September 11, 2001, I was working at American Red Cross. It was my job to connect with the news media and the community. Boy, did we connect! The Vancouver and Clark County community was so generous in the aftermath. Beyond the boots-on-the-ground communications work in the aftermath of 9-11, there were plenty of other communications projects to bring the work of Red Cross into focus. I designed and implemented communication strategies targeted to internal and external audiences, served as public information coordinator/spokesperson for chapter at emergency response situations (mostly house fires)including in the aftermath of the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks, pitched story ideas to broadcast and print media, interviewed frequently by TV and radio media, edited newsletter, wrote press releases, wrote Web site copy, took photographs at events including blood drives, interviewed volunteers. Show less



Wayside Books, Battle Ground, WA

• Battle Ground, Washington

• Community Liaison/Event Coordinator/Newsletter Editor

  • Feb 1996 - Mar 2000

  Created, implemented community relations strategy to increase community's awareness of bookstore, media coverage, bookstore foot traffic and ultimately, increased sales; Represented the bookstore in the community, especially the schools; Visited schools to promote literacy and the bookstore with book-themed events; Planned, promoted and supervised dozens of bookstore events from toddler story time to major author events to Star Trek Galactic Gala; Edited a monthly newsletter to promote the bookstore and its events; Edited a teachers' newsletter to promote the bookstore and its events and distributed it to 1,000 local teachers. Show less