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"NO,
I DON'T HAVE A PHOTO OF MYSELF. I'm
usually the one holding the camera!"
That's life
when you work behind the scenes.
That's the life of Lakewood School District Public
Relations Coordinator Susan M. Adams,
who knows more than
just how a camera works...
in addition to photographer duties, she edits
publications, conducts media
outreach, handles PR, and is very much hands-on involved in
public, community  forums.
She's
quietly been making her mark
in Lakewood and among her
professional peers statewide. In 2004, Adams won
another coveted "Mark of Excellence Award" from the
National School Public Relations Association of Ohio (NSPRA).
Her latest award was presented for the district's
community newsletter, "Report Card" which she
edits.
Who
is Susan Adams? She's the inaugural winner of
"Lakewood's Unsung Hero Award" for 2004,
presented by Lakewood Buzz... and she's more!
"Susan
works under the radar so the majority of Lakewood folks have
never heard of her," says Lakewood Buzz
founder-publisher Steve FitzGerald. "She's an
excellent public servant who doesn't seek out any public
praise. Sue Adams is an excellent choice for Lakewood
Buzz to honor with our very first Lakewood's Unsung Hero
Award!"
Those
who have worked with her day in and out, those who have
gotten to know her personally and professionally over the
years agree... and they were pleased to answer Lakewood Buzz's
question, "Who is Susan Adams?"
"Sue
Adams is a talented and dedicated professional whose
talents have served Lakewood and Lakewood Schools very
well during these past eight plus years. Sue is a
self-starter and exerts the initiative to make things
happen on her own. Most importantly, Sue is an
outstanding lady and mother," recently retired
Lakewood Schools Superintendent Dr. P. Joseph Madak.
Dr.
Madak's successor echoes his sentiments.
Superintendent Dr. David
Estrop says, "I feel extremely fortunate to work with
Sue. She believes in what she does and does it
well. We are particularly lucky to have Sue during
this period of time; a time of change in Lakewood, a time
of transitions, but most importantly a time for us to
seize the moment. This is Lakewood's time and Sue
will be here to help us communicate and chronicle all that
happens. I am extremely pleased to hear of Sue
Adam's selection."
With
Drs. Madak and Estrop as her immediate bosses, in
workwoman-fashion, Adams has
been instrumental in helping move Lakewood Schools
forward... in ways that show her keen interest in a
community process and for educating the public, says School
Board Member Betsy Shaughnessy.
"When
I think of Sue, I picture her in a group discussion,
listening and observing, then questioning; ultimately
capturing the essence of the issue at hand. She is
effective in communicating to members of our community the
intricacies of the many complex issues facing our
schools. She has been invaluable in working with
others to present the positive aspects of public
education," Shaughnessy reports.
Once
More, Making Her Mark...
In
her spare time, Adams makes her mark by writing poetry and
making journals that are sold at the Silverthorne Gallery, an
artists' co-op gallery in Rocky River. She teaches poetry writing and journal-making at Lakeside,
Ohio's Rhein Education Center during the summers. She also teaches 4th
Grade PSR and has been on the Women's Renewal team at her
church.
Before
joining Lakewood Schools, she reported for WEOL and WERE,
and wrote for Crain's Cleveland Business and The
Free Times. Adams
graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor's in
Communications, then earned her Master's in Education from
Cleveland State, concentrating in Adult Learning &
Development.
"I
have worked in nonprofit most of my life, following
several years as a radio news reporter," Adams
says. "I am committed to education, the arts,
my faith and my family."
Her
professional commitment is definitely showing... NSPRA's
Mark of Excellence program recognizes outstanding print
and visual communications efforts. Adams designs,
writes and is photographer for the quarterly community
newsletter "Report Card" issued by the
district. NSPRA judges rate entries from across the
state on content, design, writing, graphics and
photography.
"I
believe I've earned this award five times out of the six
times I entered the Report Card newsletter," she
notes, not keeping count of her
accomplishments. She estimates that in three of the
annual competitions, the Lakewood Schools newsletter was also ranked
"Best of the Best," a designation earned by  scoring
100% in all of the judging criteria.
For
Adams, the awards are nice and she appreciates them, but it's the importance of her
role with Lakewood's public schools that's her biggest
motivator, she says. And she speaks as a parent
whose daughter attended Lincoln Elementary School.
"I
believe it's very important to communicate well with our
community and that includes listening as well as conveying
information," Adams explains. "The
challenges and complexities of public education and state
funding call for regular, clear communication to help us
understand what is going on and the impact on our
communities.
"We
have wonderful teachers and students doing amazing things
in education today. I hope to continue to be of
assistance informing the community about these issues,
about opportunities for involvement, and about reasons to
be proud of our children and our schools.," she
adds. "I hope to continue to grow
professionally, spiritually and personally, counting my
blessings and enjoying every day of my life."
 Longtime
School Board Member Shaughnessy
describes Adams as a "wonderful"
team player...
"Sue
is a compassionate, soft-spoken person with great personal
strength.
She is devoted to her family and faces all challenges -
personal and professional - head on. Susan is a
wonderful member of our school team, an enormous asset to
the community, and richly deserving of recognition,"
says Shaughnessy.
Dr.
Madak adds proudly, "Sue has always been great to work with
and has always kept the interests of Lakewood and Lakewood
Schools foremost in her mind. Congratulations Sue
Adams on this most deserved recognition."
A
public presentation of "Lakewood's Unsung Hero
Award"
to Susan Adams was made by Lakewood Buzz during the School
Board meeting at Harrison Elementary School on January
10th, 2005!
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