MEET SUSAN
Questions about justice and inequity have been with me all my life. From a childhood in Houston, Texas permeated with systemic racial and social inequity that I could not understand, I was propelled into a life of working for something bigger than myself, wanting to help make things right for everyone. As a young adult I discovered that justice and change were what I was after. I was privileged to learn from activists and teachers whose work for racial equity and social justice spanned four decades. Working with organizations to build their strength and and raise funds to fuel their efforts became my path.
I am a philanthropy and organization development strategist, an executive and leadership coach, and a practitioner of somatics. I have enjoyed a career of more than 30 years consulting with a range of non-profit organizations and foundations. I offer coaching to organizations, individuals, artists, activists and writers all dedicated to transformation and creating a more just, equitable and sustainable future for our people and our planet.
Partnering with leaders and organizations I have raised more than 25 million dollars to advance racial equity, social justice, economic and educational opportunity, environmental sustainability, criminal justice, women’s, disability and human rights, and healing and justice in a deeply divided world.
With professional coaching certification from the International Coach Federation and certification in Somatic Coaching from the Strozzi Institute of Embodied Leadership, I work with people who want to move forward in their professional and personal lives toward a new vision.
In my early career I had the great good fortune to be one of the primary innovators of the bridge building work of making progressive politics, social movements and culture accessible to deaf people through sign language interpretation in concert halls and on theatrical stages. Over 15 years I performed and collaborated with Holly Near, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Arlo Guthrie, June Jordan, Linda Tillery, Emmy Lou Harris, the New York Shakespeare Festival and others, and was a member of the Broadway company of Children of a Lesser God.
I BELIEVE THAT:
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We all have a creative spark inside of us, and connecting with that spark is essential to being truly alive.
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Resilience helps us get into right action for ourselves, our loved ones and the communities we care about.
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We can shift ourselves from a traumatized state to more wholeness, and a sense of hope, safety and connection.
We can make sustainable change using practices designed to help us embody the vision we have for ourselves.
