With the exception of four lucrative years as an inner-city high school English teacher, Susan has spent her entire career working to advance change through America’s Nonprofit Sector. She gained experience in the trenches of youth development and nonprofit management as publisher to the cadre of teens who publish Chicago’s citywide newspaper, New Expression, and as coordinator of the First National Youth Conventions held concurrent with the 1996 Democratic and Republication National Conventions.

From 1996-2000, she served as a senior program officer and director of a 10-year, $30 million initiative developed by The Chicago Community Trust to strengthen seven disenfranchised Chicago communities. She also spent five years as an instructor of nonprofit management at De Paul University. As managing director at Community Foundations of America from 2002-2006, Susan focused on business development, fundraising and R & D for next generation donor engagement products and services.

 Susan has served on a variety of boards including Horizons Community Services and Chicago Arts Partnership for Education.  She also served as co-chair of Gays and Lesbians for Daley and Marwen Foundation's Paintbrush Ball. 

Susan founded PhilanthroMedia, Inc. (Pm) in January, 2007 to “celebrate the end of philanthropy as usual and to advance the perspectives of those leading the charge.”