​Currently, she is the Vice President of Strategy and Communications for Ocean Discovery League, focusing on strategic planning, fundraising, product management, and outreach for accessible deep ocean exploration programs. Prior to that Susan was the Chief Digital Officer of The Franklin Institute, where she conceived and developed a comprehensive digital strategy for the 8th largest science museum in the country. This strategy included website, social media, mobile app, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence applications, and focused on the creation of science content for a global audience to support the educational mission of the museum and transform it into a digital leader among visitors, the community, and cultural institutions.

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She also manages her own digital consulting firm, Door 44 Digital. In that role, she develops content strategies for multiple organizations in both the for-profit and non-profit spaces. Previous clients include managing digital and social media strategy and external media relations for Dr. Robert Ballard’s Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, implementing tactics for ocean science communication and storytelling, resulting in thousands of viral media stories on ocean exploration and tens of millions of media hits.

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Susan was Vice President of Digital Media for the National Geographic Society for seven years. In that role, she oversaw the development of many of National Geographic’s first online content verticals, resulting in dramatic growth for the Society’s digital presence and monetization capabilities. She then focused on outreach and content strategies for the Society’s non-profit and exploration initiatives, including James Cameron’s DeepSea Challenge, The Genographic Project, Big Cats, Freshwater, Oceans, and Explorers portal. Her work on the Genographic and Expedition: Genghis Khan projects developed successful tactics for citizen-science engagement and earned two Webby nominations. While at National Geographic, she spearheaded a personal project to document all remaining space shuttle launches from 2006 to 2011 and the decommissioning of the space shuttle program, interviewing many NASA team members. The resulting work was featured in The Washington Post and on National Geographic News blogs.

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Prior to joining National Geographic, Susan held various content positions at AOL for nine years. As the Director of Programming and Content Production, she was responsible for revamping AOL Time Warner’s approach to online celebrity content, with a special focus on live event production. Susan used creative methods to build consumer engagement around high-profile events in the news and entertainment space, including multi-camera-angle live video, interactives, polls, and chat for events such as the 2000 and 2004 elections, Space Shuttle Return to Flight, XPRIZE, and Oscar and Golden Globe Award coverage. She was one of AOL’s lead producers for Live 8 in 2005, the first digital experience to receive an Emmy Award and set the world record for concurrent online live event attendees. She produced the first inter-species chat with Koko the gorilla, the first online chat with the International Space Station, the first online events with reporters in combat zones, and the Dalai Lama’s first webcam event in 1999.

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An avid traveler, photographer, and space enthusiast, Susan spends her spare time photographing rocket launches and volunteers to provide media and digital training to nonprofit organizations around the world, including as an instructor for National Geographic Photo Camp. She is a certified Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) and a member of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team, providing volunteer support locally and in refugee camps overseas. She is currently working on a project to document her attempt to summit the highest points in all 50 U.S. states.