About Susanne

Profile

Extensive corporate business experience supporting organizational goals with effective strategic communications research, planning, implementation and evaluation; media relations; crisis and issues management; and public affairs counsel.

Expertise

• International marketing and public relations
• Media relations
• Issue management
• Employee Communications
• Community affairs
• Constituency relations
• Coaching/developing professional staff
• Large-scale change communications

Experience

LA FAVER COMMUNICATIONS, Middletown, CA

Consultant, Business and Marketing Public Relations (2000-Present)

Provide economic development consulting to small businesses in Northern California. Adjunct professor, Golden Gate University and Yuba College, Clear Lake Campus. Clients: Calpine Corp.; Community Development Services; Hidden Valley Lake Association; Measure B Campaign; South Lake Fire Protection District; Middletown Library; Middletown Senior Center; South Lake Fire Safe Council; Supervisor Ed Robey Campaign.

ROCHE MOLECULAR SYSTEMS, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Director, Public Policy and Communications (1999-2000)

Directed corporate and marketing public relations for Swiss medical diagnostic and biotech manufacturing and research firm. Supported international marketing of laboratory testing and viral load monitoring equipment for infectious diseases: HIV, Hepatitis C and sexually transmitted diseases. Product launch communications distributed in English, Japanese and French. Served as liaison with disease patient groups.

KAISER PERMANENTE, Oakland, CA

Director, National Public Relations and Issues Management (1997-1999)

Responsible for national reputation management processes: emerging issues, situation management and crisis management. Implemented multi-disciplinary, values-based decision making for early issues identification and resolution. Planned and directed integrated internal and external communications in support of national policies, federal emergency care legislation, genetic screening (breast cancer) clinical guideline, sexual dysfunction benefits (Viagra) policy, and divestment of tobacco stocks from corporate and pension funds.

SUSANNE COFFEY PUBLIC RELATIONS, Walnut Creek, CA

Consultant, Public Affairs and Business Communications (1993-1997)

Clients: Bechtel Group, Inc.; Kaiser Permanente; Levi Strauss & Co.; Pacific Telesis Group; Pillsbury Madison & Sutro; XOMA Corporation; others.

Provided strategic internal communications and project management for Business Communications Services and new long-distance telecommunications subsidiary.

Developed internal and external communications for reengineering of North American operations for international apparel company. Consulted in Asia and Latin America to establish relationships with offshore suppliers. Handled international, national, local and industry press. Surveyed corporate leaders globally for technology marketing program. Evaluated communications program for corporate automation services. Presented findings, recommendations and priorities to senior management. Developed and implemented internal communications for multi-site biotech firm. Planned and implemented media relations supporting Bechtel family/corporate foundation partnership with an Oakland technical high school.

TRI VALLEY GROWERS, San Francisco, CA

Manager, Public Affairs (1989-1993)

Established and managed department responsible for planning and implementation of public affairs for Fortune 500 food processing company. Handled internal and external communications; media relations; community affairs including corporate contributions; global marketing; financial communications including annual report and annual meeting. Facilitated annual employee communications planning meetings. Conducted internal communications audit. Published communications in English, Spanish and Japanese.

PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, San Francisco, CA

Supervisor, Public and Employee Communications Department (1986-1989)

Developed strategic communications for multiple stakeholders. Managed internal announcement of new corporate identity. Wrote consumer and employee communications.

Senior Issues Analyst, Communications Planning Department (1984-1986)

Identified, analyzed and tracked significant issues and trends having the potential to affect the company’s business. Researched and wrote confidential issue analyses for senior management. Developed strategic communications plans and monitored their implementation.

News Services Representative, News Services Department (1980-1984)

Served as environmental spokesperson regarding air and water quality, facility licensing, and transmission line siting. Demonstrated crisis communications expertise by handling media during nuclear plant hearings and demonstrations, network equipment failures, power plant explosion and pond overflows, and weather-related power outages. 

INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS, LOCAL 1245, Walnut Creek, CA

Director of Communications (1979-1980)

Edited monthly newspaper, circulation 25,000, for union members, company executives, governmental agency, and elected officials. Edited quarterly stewards’ newsletter. Developed media relations program. Served as government and media liaison during strike of Sacramento Municipal Utility District resulting in first-ever temporary shut down of nuclear power plant.

ALTA BATES HOSPITAL, Public Relations Department, Berkeley, CA

Editor of Publications (1977-1979)

Edited and produced monthly internal and external publications. Responsible for photography and media relations. 

Education

Master of public administration, Golden Gate University
B.A., journalism, emphasis in public relations, San Diego State University

Other Professional Activities

Continuing Education:

“Building Relationships of Trust;” Boston College Center for Corporate Communications

“Accelerating Change;” Implementation Management Associates, Inc.

“Public Disputes Program;” MIT-Harvard

“Facilitator Institute;” Interaction Associates

“Building Consensus Through Public Participation and Negotiation;” Edison Electric Institute

Lectures:

“International Public Relations – Spinning Relationships into Gold;” Public Relations Society of America National Conference; San Francisco, CA.

“Working With the Media;” Center for Independent Living; Berkeley, CA.

“Communicating Large-Scale Change;” Public Relations Society of America, East Bay Chapter; Danville, CA.

“Green (Environmental) Communications;” National Farmer Cooperatives’ Public Relations Conference; Monterey, CA.

International Work/Study:

France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland as employee of Swiss company, Roche Molecular Systems

Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Philippines as corporate communications consultant to Levi Strauss & Co.

Costa Rica; as corporate communications consultant to Levi Strauss & Co.

California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, Washington, Washington DC, and Kananaskis, Montreal and Toronto, Canada, as employee of Kaiser Permanente, Tri Valley Growers, and Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Kitzingen, Germany, as U.S. Army spouse and employee

Torreon, Mexico, as summer student

Professional Memberships:

• International Association of Business Communicators, accredited member
• San Francisco Public Relations Round Table, board member
• Center for Independent Living, friends’ board
• Issue Management Council, member
• International Association for Public Participation, member
• Council of Communications Management, member
• National Food Processors Association, PR committee member
• Agricultural Council of California, PR committee member
• National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, PR committee member