New communications director hits the ground running

Friday, Oct. 24, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY — In her first two weeks on the job, Susan Dennin faced the normal challenges of starting a new position: meeting her co-workers, learning the ropes and trying to settle into a routine, all of which was complicated by two major news stories dealing with the Catholic Church – the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear cases regarding same-sex marriage, and the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the family.

As the new communications director for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Dennin fielded press inquiries from various local media outlets for these stories, a task complicated by the fact that Bishop John C. Wester was unavailable for interviews during much of that time because of the priests’ convocation, travel and other commitments.

“It’s been a little like drinking from the fire hose,” Dennin said about the busy news cycle. “I think that shows once again how important communications are. Pope Francis has set a new bar with the access the media has to him and that has reset expectations for the media in general. Communications need to be timely, relevant and informative. I’ll be working hard to try to make that happen.”

Dennin steps into the position previously held by Colleen Gudreau, who retired, but Dennin is full time, whereas previously the position was part time.

The role of the communications office in the diocese continues to develop, Bishop Wester said, and a full-time person is needed to work closely with him and the curia to develop a communications strategy to ensure that matters pertaining to the Church are conveyed properly.

Dennin’s job description states that she will manage internal and external communication efforts, respond to the communications and information needs of the clergy, parishes and diocesan agencies while providing support for the pastoral ministry and community relations efforts of the bishop, and serve as the diocesan contact for media personnel.  

Although Dennin started her career in public accounting, she sees communications as a natural outgrowth of her career path, which includes an MBA from Brigham Young University, serving as a senior manager of business development at American Express Corp.,  and being the chief of staff to the chairman and CEO of Waterford Institute in Salt Lake City. She also is a PhD. candidate in Organization and Management at Capella University in Minneapolis.

Her love of learning was inspired by her upbringing, she said. “My father was a naval officer, so I grew up moving all the time, constantly being in new environments, new cultures.” 

While living all over the United States and overseas, her parents encouraged the family to appreciate and learn about local cultures and traditions, she said. “There was always this recognition of the value of different cultures.”

A cradle Catholic, Dennin considers meeting Pope John Paul II one of the highlights of her life. The meeting came 11 days after she and her husband were married; they traveled to Europe for their honeymoon. The visiting priest at their home parish in Maryland happened to be assigned to the Vatican embassy and arranged the audience.

They arrived at Saint Peter’s Square two hours early, Dennin said, and were waved forward to the center dais. Her husband got to talking with one of the ushers, who suggested they move from their center seats to the aisle. After the public audience, Pope John Paul II walked toward them, Dennin said. “They all knew that we were there and that we had just gotten married. The pope came up to us both, blessed us both. … It still gives me chills to this day.”  

The couple moved to Utah for their jobs. “We thought we’d be here for maybe three years, and here we are 20-plus years later,” Dennin said. “We’ve raised our kids here.” 

The couple has two children, both boys, one in 10th grade and the other in 6th grade. They are members of Saint John the Baptist Parish, where they are active in various ministries.