Our Team

Meet Colleen Onuffer

Senior Consultant, Director of Public Relations

The backstory

Imagine being a Kindergartener and winning a writing award from a national PBS Kids show. Or by fifth grade, regularly writing for the Buffalo News' Kids Page -- and having the chance to interview Buffalo Sabres hockey players. And yet, that's exactly what Colleen Onuffer did. It's like she came fully hatched as a writer. Like most writers, Colleen was influenced by great teachers and professors. And as an adult, she brought that excitement for writing and communication into her career.

Professional path

Her gift for writing articles and short stories translated into Colleen's ability at Break the Ice to find the essential story in each client's industry, and develop targeted messages. Because clients are often so close to their technical side or information, they can have a hard time sorting it all out. Clients may feel it's hard to explain or put into words. With great listening skills, Colleen helps each client save time by doing that required distilling. She's able to get that information to the consumer, or the media, that works best for a particular audience. Her innate ease with and understanding of social media allows her to see opportunities for effective advertising.

Inside the office she loves:

The open BTI environment. Sharing ideas and suggestions. Bouncing ideas off her fellow staff members. Finding the perfect hook for a client's story.

Outside the office she loves:

Experiencing the beauty in traveling. Ticking off visits to all of the 11 Finger Lakes. Being outside with her dog at different parks. Reading. Eating at new local restaurants. Finding new breweries.