About Susie

A life-long public servant, Susie has spent the last 17 years in Santa Cruz raising three daughters alongside her husband, Matt, a UCSC history professor. Fifteen of those years were spent working for the City of Santa Cruz, first as an appointed Water Commissioner, then as an engineer for the Water Department, and finally as a program manager, analyst, and executive in the City Manager’s Office. 

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During her long tenure at the City, Susie worked alongside over 20 Councilmembers, witnessing highly effective, but sometimes less than effective, local governance. She learned that our City thrives when leaders work towards consensus, bring their personal convictions but are open to listening to their colleagues’ perspectives, and work to understand all of their constituencies, especially the voices of those historically underrepresented. 

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Susie’s personal convictions are shaped by her experiences raising her daughters in Santa Cruz, working for and on behalf of the City, and having strong ties to the university. She has worked with nearly every sector in town, serving on school and environmental nonprofit boards, County mental health and substance use disorder commissions, and running programs to address homelessness and drug-related recidivism. Having moved to the university in 2020, Susie lives among UCSC’s on-campus students, and, having her own college-aged daughters, knows the challenges facing recent arrivals to UCSC as they integrate into the campus and greater community. 

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Susie knows Santa Cruz and has been working to improve the lives of all of its residents for nearly two decades. She is thrilled to take on the leadership role of Councilmember and would be honored to have your vote.

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