President Kent Frankenfeld, Susan Gwiasda and Rotarian Tom Hertz
On Monday, November 28th, the Rotary Club of Ames recognized 15 individuals who made, and are making, extraordinary contributions to our community. We recognized our “Heroes of the Community” with a Paul Harris Fellow.
Susan is the Ames Public Relations Director. In this role, she serves as Public Information Officer and is responsible for internal and external city communications, Media Productions Division, to name a few of her responsibilities.
Think back to the pandemic when there was so much unknown and misinformation about the virus. Imagine Susan’s role during this time.
Much of what the public sees regarding City communications are press releases, videos, radio, website, and social media postings. A lot of time goes into producing these communications, requiring Susan to be available beyond her regular work day. Timeliness in getting the information out is critical when the unexpected occurs, whether a water main break or a pandemic.
During the pandemic, Susan saw the importance of offering regular communication. She organized weekly interviews with community leaders to discuss issues affecting the community. She worked collaboratively with Iowa State University, Mary Greely Medical Center, Ames Chamber of Commerce, and Story County on information campaigns that shared COVID statistics and resources.
Susan also promotes City services and programs and engagement opportunities for citizens to participate in local government. She does this by serving as a member of the City’s Climate Action Plan Project Team, presenting the City’s annual resident satisfaction survey results, scheduling ribbon-cuttings for City projects, and creating the monthly “City Side” newsletter that accompanies utility bills.
Susan's Rotarian sponsor is Tom Hertz.