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The Day's Great Contribution
Board Member Elizabeth Suson
When The Day Publisher Gary Farrugia recommended Liz Suson to Main Street's Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee did not know what to expect. The committee had determined that representation from the downtown stakeholders, such as The Day, was important, but would this petite, intense young woman with long, dark hair who worked on the paper's administrative side fit the bill?
It did not take long for the Board to learn that Liz was willing and able to roll up her sleeves and get things done. Almost immediately she tackled the Historic New London Map & Guide, a project languishing with insufficient funds to complete. With Liz's help, the map was updated and printed in record time. This marketing piece for the City and downtown was so popular, local and regional information centers are clamoring to have it republished. Since then, she has helped with the design work for the new business recruiting brochure and the graphics for the Union Station gala, among other efforts.
Why did someone with Liz's drive and talent agree to volunteer for New London Main Street? She says that her interest was peaked by the progress being made in the district. What satisfies her now is to see the results of all the hard work moving downtown in the right direction. In terms of Main Street's future, she says she would like to see Main Street "involve the community outside of downtown in what's going on within the downtown - to get the neighborhoods involved." But, she adds, quickly, "We don't have the resources, yet."
Liz moved to the area in the summer of 1999 after graduating with a degree in communications from West Virginia University in Morgantown. "I always wanted to be a teacher," she says, "but I didn't want to work in the classroom." Her job at The Day meets these criteria perfectly. Liz is the Newspaper in Education coordinator, working with teachers to increase the use of the newspaper in the classroom as a supplementary teaching tool.
Liz has three sisters, including an identical twin sister, Cathy, who lives in Fairfield, which Liz says confuses people at The Day when she visits! She is close to her family, who live in West Virginia, where her dad, who was born in the Philippines, is a retired pediatric surgeon.
With help from volunteers like Liz, downtown is developing a stronger, more attractive identity, and a growing sense of community as well.
2005 Update: On June 6, 2005, Liz was presented the Connecticut Main Street's Personal Achievement Award for Outstanding Main Street Board Members of the Year.
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