About Susan

Susan Kirkpatrick is a seasoned strategic communications professional serving nonprofits and small businesses primarily in Western New York. She has extensive experience and expertise in all facets of communications, public relations, and marketing.

In 2024, Susan returned to the helm of her marketing communications consulting firm, Kirkpatrick Communications, after serving as Chief Communications Officer for The John R. Oishei Foundation, one of WNY’s most prominent private foundations for nearly six years. In addition to handling all aspects of the Foundation’s marketing and communication’s, she honed her skills supporting the nonprofit and philanthropic sector working with the Foundation’s many grantees and partners.

In particular, Susan built her storytelling capabilities as she led the foundation’s well-regarded StoryGrowing WNY program, teaching nonprofits how to effectively use storytelling in their marketing/communications efforts communicate impact. Susan also deepened her expertise in the use of asset framing – the practice of communicating about people based on their strengths and aspirations, rather the issues and barriers they face – to assist nonprofits in communicating respectfully and effectively.

Susan also has extensive experience leading communications for WNY’s collaborative initiatives including the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund, Buffalo Together Community Response Fund and others.

Her overall expertise includes communications strategy and messaging, content creation, digital communications, reputation management and crisis communications, media relations and PR, event planning, and project management. She has worked in agency, corporate, and nonprofit settings and managed Kirkpatrick Communications for more than a decade prior to her work at the Oishei Foundation.

She founded Kirkpatrick Communications in 2007, providing marketing communications services to a variety of private sector, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations. She drew on her extensive experience working in agency and in-house communications roles at organizations including locally at Crowley Webb & Associates, and in Atlanta at The Athlete’s Foot, Rollins, Inc/Orkin Pest Control, Hill & Knowlton, and in Boston at Arnold Public Relations.