USIP Names Lauren Sucher Director of Public Affairs and Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 8, 2009

Contact:

Liz Harper
+1-202-429-3873
eharper@usip.org [1]
 

(Washington) — The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has named Lauren Sucher as the Director of Public Affairs and Communications.

Sucher joined USIP as Associate Director of Media Relations in November 2006, and has been Acting Director of Public affairs since March 2009.

In announcing her new position, USIP Executive Vice President Tara Sonenshine said, "I am delighted that Lauren has agreed to serve as the Director of Public Affairs and Communications. This is a time of great creativity and growth for the Institute as we prepare to move to our permanent headquarters. We are fortunate to have Lauren leading our outreach and media activities at this important time in our history."

Sucher handles media relations for the Institute while her team builds and runs USIP.org, oversees the alumni program, coordinates with program staff on book launches and other public events, and manages visits by groups from around the world.

The public affairs team also works closely with the Headquarters Project [2] to prepare for the Institute's move to its permanent headquarters on the National Mall that will be visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. Her goal is to increase the Institute’s visibility by integrating the organization’s online presence with its media outreach, as the Institute celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year.

Sucher joined the Institute's staff in November 2006, just in time to help launch the Iraq Study Group report in December 2006. She collaborated with organizational partners to publicize the work of the Genocide Prevention Task Force and generated media for USIP events such as the annual National Peace Essay Contest, groundbreaking of construction for the Institute's new building, and two recent conferences, Passing the Baton and Media as Global Diplomat (cosponsored with ITVS).

Prior to USIP, Sucher handled media relations for an environmental health nonprofit organization and several electoral candidates, and worked for a member of Congress on Capitol Hill. She holds MA degrees from Brandeis University and Emerson College, and a BA from Towson State University.