Sue Markgraf
President
Sue Markgraf is an award-winning reporter, editor and media relations practitioner with nearly 30 years in media and corporate communications, including for the horticulture and agriculture industries. She has extensive experience in strategic team leadership, media communications and lifestyle reporting, issues and reputation management and media training for education, not-for-profit, corporate and agency businesses.
Because green is all that GreenMark PR does, Sue forges alliances among the firm’s clients that yield above-and-beyond results, including in industry leadership capacities, higher-profile visibility and reputation enhancement. She is on the cutting edge of new media, guiding the firm’s direction on Internet opportunities for clients that are in addition to traditional marketing communications strategies. With her team, success yields award-winning results for clients through new and traditional media relations, marketing communications, social and electronic exposure.
Prior to co-founding GreenMark PR in 2006, Sue led the public relations team at the Chicago Botanic Garden, where she created and managed proactive, full-scale communications programs. Her work delivered millions of consumer impressions that increased visibility, supported attendance and provided tangible results that contributed to a successful rebrand initiative and capital campaign launch. Under her direction, coverage of the Garden and its work in science, education and leadership grew from minimal to international in just five years.
Sue’s background includes big-agency experience with the Chicago office of Fleishman-Hillard and corporate communications with Dairy Management Inc. As a media relations professional, her work includes broadcast in front of and behind the camera, segment producer and director, spokesperson and social media leader. She is a former editor of two industry trade publications and worked for many years as a newspaper reporter and editor. A lifelong journalist, she has written articles for leading newspapers and national publications and has guest-taught editing and writing to teens and adults. Sue is president of the Publicity Club of Chicago.
“Great results are achieved through compassionate teamwork and a passionate drive to reach a common goal. When this happens, results are amazing – and they are consistent.” - Sue Markgraf
