NHLBI Office of Communications Director Announced

Dr. Susan Shurin - December 22, 2009

Dear NHLBI Colleagues:

It is my pleasure to announce that Ms. Sally McDonough has accepted the position of Director, Office of Communications, NHLBI. She will assume her new duties on December 20, 2009. We are very fortunate to have Sally’s dynamic and creative leadership for this critical function of the Institute. I would like to thank the Search Committee for their thoughtful and thorough work.

Sally brings a wealth of experience in working with the public and private sectors. She previously served as Senior Advisor for Communications, NHLBI, where she provided invaluable guidance to the Institute’s communication strategy about our ARRA activities to grantees and the public. Previously, Sally served as Special Assistant to the President, Director of Communications, and Press Secretary to the then First Lady beginning in 2007. In this role, she traveled to more than 40 countries and throughout the United States and dealt with a diverse array of complex issues, such as global democracy issues in Afghanistan and Burma, domestic and international education and literacy issues, and public health issues, especially those related to HIV/AIDS, malaria, breast cancer and heart disease. In addition, Sally managed the operations of the communications office, which included speechwriting, press relations, marketing, media materials development, and photography and web site creation and production.

From 2002 to 2007, Sally served as Vice President and Director of Consumer Health and Wellness/Cause Marketing at the Washington, D.C. office of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide where she managed a broad portfolio of social and cause marketing accounts focused on public affairs, media relations, and partnership development. She worked on a number of Government, corporate and non-profit accounts, including NHLBI’s Heart Truth campaign. In 2000, Sally built and managed her own firm, McDonough Public Relations. She served as a communications consultant to several cultural and historical institutions, working with the White House Historical Association and the U.S. Capitol. She also managed the public relations department at Mount Vernon, America’s most-visited historic home. Sally earned her Bachelor of Arts (Social Science) from the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was an elected member of the Society of American Travel Writers (1999-2007) and Vice President and Board Member of the Public Relations Society of America (2001-2007) and has received more than 30 awards for her efforts in the public affairs arena as well as numerous awards for her advertising campaigns and personal achievements.

I am delighted to welcome Sally to the NHLBI family. She looks forward to working closely with you and your colleagues in 2010 and the years to come.

With best regards,
Susan

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