Susan Orr

Susan Orr has enjoyed a career in journalism, public relations and fund development. She earned in her BA in journalism from in 1987 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and her master’s degree in communications in 1993, from Point Park College (now Point Park University.) She has overseen PR efforts for such organizations as The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Girl Scouts-Trillium Council, Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, Foundation of HOPE, and Sojourner House.

Active in the community, Orr serves as board secretary of Women’s Press Club of Pittsburgh. Orr has served on Pittsburgh Technology Council’s ATHENA Award host committee since 2000, has been a member of 100 Women Who Care-Pittsburgh since 2020, and is serving on WYEP-FM’s 50th Anniversary Committee. Orr volunteers for Sojourner House and Sojourner House MOMS, teaching professional development and life skills classes to residents who are in early recovery, and she also serves on Sojourner House’s annual Victorian Tea fundraiser planning committee.

In her spare time, Orr likes to stay active by going to hear live music, listening to WYEP-FM, swimming, “getting her steps in,” attending book club (the same one she has belonged to since 1998), and entertaining at her Aspinwall home. Orr and her husband, Reed, have two daughters, Katie, who graduated from Pitt and now lives in Austin, TX, and Claudia, who is attending grad school at Pitt.