Professional Affiliation

Vice President of Communications, Research!America

Major Publications

Suzanne Ffolkes is the vice president of communications of Research!America , the nation’s largest nonprofit alliance working to make research for health a higher national priority.  As vice president, Ffolkes oversees internal and external communications and marketing strategies to position Research!America as the substantive, go-to resource for members of the alliance, policymakers, media, and the public.

Previously, she served as Director of Media Advocacy for the American Heart Association, a Research!America member, leading media and communications activities for the association’s policy initiatives. She was a Senior Media Outreach Specialist for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and a Senior Communications Specialist for the United Negro College Fund.  For her work in the public relations and communications field, Ffolkes received numerous awards including the PR News NonProfit Award, the Hermes Creative Award, the APEX Award, the Communicator Award and the MarCom International Award.

Ffolkes was a journalist for The Associated Press Broadcast News Center and for various broadcast and print media outlets around the country including CNN.  She received a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and a Master’s Degree in public communication from The American University in Washington, D.C.