For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Alison Berg
aberg@groupgordon.com
(212) 784-5707
Urban Resource Institute (URI) has named Susan Arnot Heaney to the position of Chief Marketing Officer, a newly created role within the organization’s Executive Team. URI is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1980 that is today the nation’s largest provider of domestic violence shelter and services. URI also operates shelters for homeless families and residential and vocational programs for individuals with developmental disabilities in New York City, as well as innovative programs to tackle the root causes of domestic and relationship violence.
Reporting to Nathaniel Fields, President & CEO, Heaney will serve as an integral member of the senior leadership team with responsibility for the development and execution of URI’s marketing, communications and public relations strategy that will contribute to URI’s organizational success and mission impact. As CMO, Heaney will also directly manage communications activities that enhance, promote and protect the organization’s brand and reputation, and expand URI’s reach, visibility and influence in its mission to enhance the lives of vulnerable populations. She will be based in the New York City central office of URI.
“We are pleased to have Susan Heaney join our team in the new CMO role, especially in this our 40th anniversary year that falls at a time when the world is facing unique challenges,” noted Fields. “URI has a longstanding heritage of driving meaningful positive impact, and the past few years have been a period of significant growth and expansion for the organization. With the addition of Heaney to our team we will further increase our influence, success and impact on our issues and many stakeholders.”
Heaney brings a wealth of both corporate and nonprofit marketing and communications experience. Her corporate career included nearly 16 years at Avon Products, Inc. and the Avon Foundation for Women in roles including Director of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and Director of Communications for the Avon Foundation, and, for the Avon corporation, Director of Global Public Relations and Media and Executive Director of Corporate Responsibility. During her tenure at the Avon Foundation, Heaney helped create and launch the global Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program and was instrumental in the re-branding and growth of the Avon Foundation from a corporate philanthropy to a 501(c)(3) public charity.
She was most recently Director of Global Marketing and Engagement for the Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit working on the environmental, social and economic impacts of agriculture and forestry. During her tenure, the Rainforest Alliance merged with Netherlands-based UTZ, and Heaney co-led the post-merger communications and branding integration workstreams.
Prior to the Rainforest Alliance Heaney led marketing, communications and development for The Sustainability Consortium, a global multi-stakeholder organization of over 100 member companies, academic institutions and civil society organizations that develops and promotes the science of consumer product sustainability, including social and environmental impacts.
Heaney has held leadership roles in numerous trade and nonprofit organizations and has been recognized for her influence in corporate responsibility and ethical business. Several of her programs have received awards and recognition, and she has been honored for her volunteer work with the nonprofit organizations Dress for Success and Business Council for Peace (Bpeace).
About Urban Resource Institute
Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a leading non-profit organization that provides comprehensive, holistic, and supportive social services that aid and empower New Yorkers in times of crisis. URI’s programs provide care for survivors of domestic violence, individuals with developmental disabilities, homeless families, and other at-risk populations, allowing them to live in safety and recover from trauma in both residential and non-residential settings. With deep community relationships and a flexible, innovative approach to program development and service delivery, URI is uniquely equipped to provide solutions to the challenges affecting New York City’s most vulnerable populations. URI merged with the Center Against Domestic Violence in 2018, the first licensed provider of domestic violence shelter in New York. With nearly 80 years of combined experience, the organization is the largest provider of domestic violence residential services in the country, with the ability to shelter over 1,100 individuals, including survivors and their families, on any given day. For more information, please visit www.urinyc.org.
