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Humans of Fort Lewis College: Suzanne Connors
Background: What's your title, and what do you do on your job? And how many years have you been at FLC?
My title is Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving and I’m still trying to figure out what I do on my job! In a big picture sense, it is my responsibility to create connections, to care for and to cultivate the body of our alumni here at FLC. I also help our community “pay it forward” for current and future students by implementing an annual giving program to develop our pipeline of philanthropic gifts. I am learning about new opportunities to engage our alumni and to make giving joyful at FLC every day. I just started in this role on September 21st, so rather than count how many years I’ve been at FLC, I can still count in days: 18 as I write today!
What do you like best so far and/or are you most looking forward to about working at FLC, and why?
It’s hard to skip over the basics here. The people at FLC rock. It has been a blast getting to know my colleagues and the broader FLC community thus far. You are a dedicated, fun, genuine, happy group. Thanks for letting me join the clan. I also have to admit that my new “commute,” a mile up North College Drive, has me in awe each morning and afternoon. As I drive up above the Rim and look out at the mountains, I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds us here.
Where are you from, and how did you get from there to here?
Long story short: Wyoming, California, Virginia, and Colorado and then down highway 285. I’ve lived in Colorado since 1996 and in September, I moved to Durango from Golden, where my husband and children and I had lived for the past ten years. But life on the Front Range was getting us down: long commutes, traffic, and a general state of what I call “harried-ness” among the population. We found ourselves returning more and more frequently to visit my cousin in Durango, world famous FLC alumna Ericka Curlee, and her husband Don Bendell. We met some great Durango folks on river trips down the San Juan and could picture a pretty amazing lifestyle for our family here.
What's your favorite thing to do outside of work, and why do you love it?
Does sitting on my new back porch and looking at the view with a glass of wine in hand count? On the more active side, when I’m not wrangling my 8 and 5 year old children with my husband, I love to be active outside. Mountain biking tops this list, and although I can’t say that my time in the saddle has any net affect on improving my skills but it does feed my need for adrenaline. I also trail run/trot, hike, ski, and enjoy a good float down the river. Most activities are viewed as ways to burn calories so as to be able to cook and enjoy the everyday pleasure of eating good food!
What's an interesting thing about you that most people don't know?
I make killer guacamole. For even more fascinating facts, let’s get to know one another.
Please share one bit of advice or a favorite quote you can offer about ... anything.
Momentum is your friend. At least that’s what I tell myself on my rides! Applied broadly to life, I think it’s all about an attitude of “I can” and to keep on keepin’ on. I also think we get what we expect, so maintaining or expecting forward movement is a great way to get where you want to go.