15th Anniversary May Feature: Sue Parente

Tier One is thrilled, humbled, and grateful to be heading into our 15th year as a full-service PR, social and content agency. We see this moment in time as an opportunity to celebrate and recognize our fantastic team members. On the 15th of each month (Feb.’18 - Dec.‘18), we are spotlighting a team member and giving them an opportunity to raise a little extra awareness and support for a cause that’s important to them. Here’s to the next 15! #TOP15

Sue Parents
Co-Founder, Managing Partner

Sue’s commitment to “team” stems from...
As the youngest of six kids, she says that growing up, there was always something happening at her house in Cleveland. She fondly remembers her family’s yard as the place where the whole neighborhood gathered to play baseball, football, or kick-the-can. (Perhaps because her family alone could pretty much fill the field!) She learned early on how to be a team player and contribute, because if she didn’t, she would be left to help her mom set the table.

We don’t often hear Sue singing around the office but...
She sang with a women’s acapella group in college. They used to go on tour each Spring Break, singing for their supper all the way down the East Coast until they made it to the Florida beaches. This was all well before “Pitch Perfect” made a capella glamorous, but Sue says the group was a blast!

Since 2010, Sue and Tier One have supported…
Neighbor Brigade, a Massachusetts based non-profit that uses technology to quickly organize volunteers to help their neighbors in times of sudden crisis. When individuals and families suddenly find their worlds upended by a serious medical condition or other tragedy, volunteers step in to help when immediate family and friends can’t, from grocery shopping and meal delivery to rides to medical appointments and light house or yard work. Neighbor Brigade delivers help quickly, caringly, and completely free of charge with no strings attached. The organization currently has 34 chapters in six states and helps thousands of individuals and families each year.

Sue is excited to celebrate Neighbor Brigade this May because…
It marks the organization’s 8th birthday! Sue joined Neighbor Brigade as part of a small group that helped launch it in 2010. She started as a volunteer in her town of Wayland, Massachusetts, and is proud to have served on its board since 2012, currently in the role of board president.

Sue says, “We live in a world where people have less and less time to stop and make sure the people around them are doing okay.” She loves Neighbor Brigade because it gives everyone — no matter who we are — an opportunity to help each other in a way that fits with our fast-paced, modern lives. Sue sees the organization as “a brilliant concept because it’s so simple, yet incredibly effective.”

Tier One has helped Neighbor Brigade throughout the years with…
Marketing communication support, first at its launch and during other key times, including its annual fundraising event, Pam’s Run, which honors the memory and legacy of the organization’s founder Pam Washek. Tier One has played a significant role in building the organization’s awareness and driving its expansion throughout Massachusetts and beyond.

Sue thinks it’s important for companies to be involved with charities that their employees care about because...
It’s good for the soul — both the company’s and the employees’. It helps deepen understanding and connection among employees at every level and builds stronger, healthier organizations.

People can learn more about Neighbor Brigade at…
The organization’s website and by following it on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.