Susanne Bankhead
PARTNER & SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Susanne Bankhead brings more than 20 years of knowledge and excellence to her role as senior vice president of JPW. As a lifelong athlete herself, Susanne has always thrived being part of a team. She considers it a great privilege to now coach and develop the team at JPW.
"I think our team is what sets us apart. We've developed a great culture of support, investing in each other and the work we do. It's incredibly life-giving to be immersed in a team dedicated to consistent and continuous growth."
Get to know Susanne
Her love for communication began at an early age. She always enjoyed reading and had a knack for writing stories in elementary school. That passion has carried throughout her life and career.
Susanne received her bachelor’s in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports management from Arkansas State University and her master’s in kinesiology and sports management from California State University, Long Beach. Her first job out of school was at a small consulting firm in downtown San Diego where she spent much of her time serving government agencies. She quickly became fascinated by how cities operate and loved discovering the mission and value behind each project she worked on.
In 2013, Susanne began working for the City of Carlsbad as a community relations manager. Her five-year career with the city gave her valuable insight into the private and public sectors and showed her the importance of thoughtfully engaging the public to build greater relations between government and the people it serves.
Susanne met Jenny when they were both PIO's for the City of Carlsbad and the City of San Marcos, respectively. They quickly formed a friendship and Jenny became a cheerleader and mentor for Susanne. When Jenny established JPW, Susanne was the first person she thought of to join the team. Susanne now proudly serves as senior vice president.
Susanne is an advocate for this work and the purpose that it serves. Through thoughtful planning and proactive communication, Susanne is dedicated to helping people believe in the goodness of government, one project at a time.
When she's not working, Susanne spends time with her husband and two sons, playing volleyball, reading, journaling or enjoying the beach.
