Susan has worked in nonprofit fundraising management for public and private educational institutions, social service agencies and public policy organizations for more than 40 years.

Susan has served as a corporate officer at five major nonprofit organizations. As President/CEO of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) she managed and directed a $5 million business of gift shops, transportation services and food outlets, raised sales per visitor and maintained profit margins. She also re-engineered member and donor services and re-activated Board structure. She established fund raising and investment policies, a major gifts committee, an endowment program, and a governmental relations program. She initiated GLAZA participation in two county assessment campaigns, benefiting the Los Angeles Zoo with $40 million and represented the 40-person board to public, city and federal officials, and 45,000 members. Susan managed 40 full-time, 150 part-time employees and 700 trained volunteers.

In Washington DC she served as deputy director of marketing and development for Special Olympics International and vice president for development for Business Executives for National Security (BENS).
At UCLA, she directed the $35 million dollar management school component of UCLA’s capital campaign. She developed a board of advisors to raise the funds, conducted a feasibility study, developed recognition opportunities and worked with the University of California and the UCLA Foundation to ensure that University policies and donor interests received equal attention. Before the campaign ended, the management school had exceeded its campaign target, expanded its goals to include a new facility for the school, and renamed the school for one of its donors.

Prior to that position, she headed the award-winning Governmental Relations Program at UCLA. Designed to bring influential alumni and state legislators together on campus and in Sacramento, the program has grown to be one of the largest of a publicly assisted university in the nation. And at Santa Monica College, she advised the president on fund raising and community relations, developed a board of advisors for the Library Sculpture Garden and assisted in the establishment of a foundation.
Since 1997, with Brakeley Briscoe, Susan has managed or provided counsel on 13 capital campaigns. In addition, she has provided training to, or has counseled with, UCLA Extension, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the University of Judaism, Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame, Indiana), Pepperdine University, Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, Southeast Symphony Association, Charles R. Drew University, U.S.Vets, The RAND Corporation, Aspen Institute, SRO Housing Corporation, International Human Rights Law Group, United States Institute of Peace, the East Timor International Support Group, Brentwood School, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Writers Guild Foundation, Latino Theater Company, Friends of Ballona Wetlands, Wilshire Boulevard Temple , and the Westside Children’s Center. Susan taught a hybrid graduate course at Pepperdine University for 4 years. Prior to fundraising, Susan taught political science at Santa Monica College, served the League of Women Voters of California as president, and co-chaired or led seven nonpartisan ballot measure campaigns.

She serves on the board of the California Coalition for Public Higher Education (www.yestohighered.org)  and on the board of directors of her homeowners association. She is an investor and board member of RADLINK, a medical imaging device company. She also serves on advisory boards at UCLA, Saint Mary’s College and Pepperdine and in legislative advocacy positions with the League of Women Voters. In July, 2020, she began a 2 year term as President of UCLA Women & Philanthropy. She served 3 three-year terms as a trustee of Saint Mary’s College (ND) 3 two-year terms on the UCLA Foundation Board and 21 years on the board of regents for Pepperdine University and served on each institution’s campaign cabinet. She completed eight years of service on the board of the fundraising certification organization, CFRE International, her last two years as board chair
Susan has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumna by Saint Mary’s College, and the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Also honored with the Leadership Founders Award by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and by Pepperdine University. She holds an Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive credential (ACFRE), and Administrator and Supervisor Credentials from the California Community Colleges. Susan has written articles on fundraising for Advancing Philanthropy andco-authored “Women, Money and Political Clout” in Women as Donors, Women as Philanthropists, Von Schlegell and Fisher, eds, Jossey-Bass, 1994. (in reprint)