Susan Ann Davis | Chairman, Susan Davis International

Susan Ann Davis, Chairman Susan Davis International has grown the agency into a global public affairs, strategic communications, and special events company, receiving accolades and recognition from industry peers and earning the respect of business, NGO and government leaders around the world. An icon in the special events and public relations industry globally, throughout her more than 35-year career she has produced high profile special events and provides public relations counsel to Heads of State, worldwide Cabinet-level Ministers, Fortune 100 CEOs and heads of major institutions and NGOs.

Her special events career spans almost three decades, beginning with her selection as the first woman to do advance work for a President of the United States.  She has personally organized and directed international business summits, national conferences, Inaugural galas; high profile cultural, military and historical institution dedications, galas, awards programs and one-of-a-kind special events.  She is an expert on public affairs, media strategy, protocol, event design and production, public events, complex multi-event logistics, diplomatic and congressional relations, and crisis management.  Over the last 20 years, Susan Davis and her expert team have handled the openings and dedications in Washington, DC of the majority of America's most treasured institutions.  This work has won more than two dozen national and international awards, and the highest of industry respect. 

She has provided overall strategic vision and management for events ranging from the recent Centennial Commemoration of WWI;  Joint Women's Leadership Symposiums; Gold Medal Awards Celebration for the WWII Women Air Service Pilots (WASP); the dedication and the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Holocaust Museum; the Japanese American Memorial dedication; the FDR Memorial dedication; the Bicentennial of the Library of Congress; the Vikings exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History; and the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial.  She provided overall strategic counsel and management of the logistical and media teams for the opening of the Women's Memorial at Arlington Cemetery, which included a 30,000 person dedication, 15,000 person march, 16,000 person series of luncheons, a 5,000 person gala and a 7,000 person Arlington Cemetery event, utilizing more than 10 venues in three days.  She led the special events team for the Dedication of the WWII Memorial which included the largest public seated event on the Mall (160,000), and also led the special events team that organized the 350th anniversary of Swedes landing in the United States which include 750 events across the U.S. and a 15 city U.S. tour of the King and Queen of Sweden and their 150 person entourage.   She lead the teams for a major German public relations/special events campaign in the United States, and organized the U.S. Ireland Business Summit with Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United States, securing 400 CEOs and senior Cabinet officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland.  

She recently received the Global Empowerment Award from the Asian Women of Influence in the United Kingdom.  She was named by the United States Government as "Woman Business Advocate of the United States and was recognized by the U.S. National Association of Women Business Owners for "Outstanding Achievement in National and International Public Affairs." A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, she has received the Distinguished Alumni Award; the award for Distinguished Service in the field of Communications, and the University of Wisconsin Daily Cardinal Hall of Fame award. The Public Relations Society in Washington, D.C. honored Ms. Davis with the inaugural Hall of Fame Award.  For her humanitarian work, she received the prestigious Order of Merit from the Knights Templar and the Global Empowerment Award in the United Kingdom, given previously to Prince Charles and Pepsico CEO Indra Noohi.