Susan Cook Elected to AAF Central Region Chair

Fort Worth ad woman Susan Cook has been elected Central Region Chair of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). This position also holds a seat on the AAF’s national board of directors and executive committee. President and owner of COOK | A Creative Consultancy, Cook has been active in AAF on the local level for most of her professional career, on the district level for ten years and on the national level since 2005.

As Central Region Chair, Cook will preside over a coalition of five AAF districts as well as representing their interests on the national board and executive committee:

District 5 - Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky
District 6 - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan
District 8 - North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin
District 9 - Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri
District 10 - Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Northwest Louisiana

Cook served as president of AAF-Fort Worth (then known as the Advertising Club of Fort Worth) in 1997-98. In 2003, she received the Silver Medal Award from the club – the highest national award given at the local level to recognize outstanding leadership within the community, leadership within the winner’s company, creative ability, and contributions to the general advancement of advertising.

In 2004, Cook was elected Second Lt. Governor of the AAF’s Tenth District. She served on the district’s executive committee as Second Lt. Governor in 2004-05 and as First Lt. Governor in 2005-06. In 2006-07, she became Governor, where she established groundbreaking programs within the district, including the Innovation and Leadership in Advertising Awards program, given to companies within District 10 that exemplify excellence in four key areas of advertising: media use, employment in District 10, diversity and leadership. In her role as governor, Cook also served on the AAF’s national board of directors and Council of Governors.

In 2009, Cook received the coveted Member of the Year Award from the Tenth District. The award was given to honor her work with clubs throughout the district to strengthen the individual clubs and district as a whole.

Also in 2009, Cook was asked to fill an opening on the district’s executive committee created when the current governor resigned. She served as interim Second Lt. Governor for 10 months during 2009-10.

The American Advertising Federation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., acts as the "Unifying Voice for Advertising." The AAF is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 40,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the country. Through its 226 college chapters, the AAF provides 8,000 advertising students with real-world case studies and recruitment connections to corporate America. The AAF also has nearly 100 blue-chip corporate members that are advertisers, agencies and media companies, comprising the nation's leading brands and corporations. Its mission is to protect and promote the well-being of advertising through a unique, nationally coordinated grassroots network of advertisers, agencies, media companies, local advertising clubs and college chapters.