Today's Wonderful WCC Woman is Susan "Sue" Gunther

WONDERFUL WCC WOMAN is all about the amazing women that are members of the Woman's Club of Concord.....

I grew up in a place and time where girls were limited. You see, I’m from a very small town in the Midwest. So, much to the surprise and befuddlement of my family, I headed to college in Atlanta, Georgia. My first major was fashion design. It didn’t take long to realize that I needed an education in business to actually support myself.  I attended Marietta College and New Hampshire College (now SNHU). In 2007 I earned my Master’s Certificate in Organizational Leadership from Villanova University.

My professional life began working for the American Heart Association in Ohio, then Pennsylvania, and finally I landed in New Hampshire as the NH State Executive Director. It was in NH where I met my husband, John. After we married I took a break from nonprofits to manage our family business.

But, I couldn’t stay away from the nonprofit world. So, I accepted the NH/VT Census Bureau District Manager position. Following that I became the March of Dimes NH Chapter Executive Director.

I realized that I could make more of an impact by launching my consulting practice. That’s when I opened People Friendly Strategic Solutions. I was a facilitator for strategic planning and board of director retreats; contract executive director for small nonprofit; entrepreneurial consultant and trainer. I loved the diversity of working with organizations; helping enterprising entrepreneurs start & grow their businesses; and training individuals, enhancing their job skills and marketability.

I believe that to guide organizations, you need to be active in them. I served on the boards of Woman’s Club of Concord, Dress for Success NH, Concord Toastmasters, National Speakers Association New England, and VolunteerNH. I presented at numerous Governor’s Conferences on Volunteerism, speaking about volunteer, board and leadership development. I am currently on the board of Concord Community TV and one of the hosts for the Nonprofit Connection.

I found Woman’s Club of Concord several years ago when I attended a holiday party at the Chamberlin House. The story of the club had an impact on me. As I learned more about the club’s programs I decided this was a perfect match for my philosophy. So I jumped in with both feet.

Shortly after joining, Barbara Ruedig asked me to serve as the Community Services Chair. I happily accepted. As I understood the role, I would be the liaison to nonprofit organizations in the community. I decided that instead of working with multiple organizations individually we should maximize our impact on the community. So, I recruited a committee (Kathy Dow and Donna Wilbur) and we organized the “Mall of Opportunities”. Thirteen organizations participated in a trade show at the Chamberlin House one evening. This gave our members the opportunity to volunteer for their organization of choice.

Recently life has changed. This past fall I retired. I am now traveling to take care of aging family in Ohio and New Mexico. In addition, I am happily traveling with my husband, for business. Yes, we squeeze in vacations, too.

John is quite the trombone player (not just my opinion) and I am having a ball as one of the most enthusiastic roadies and volunteers the Freese Brothers Big Band has seen. I also follow him around the state during summer concerts in the park season.

Though I claim to be retired I am still on a path of discovery. I give credit to WCC for my new direction. Meeting Lisa Schermerhorn sparked an interest in energy medicine, chakras, and dowsing. Oh yes, and I am experimenting with making body butters and other spa “concoctions”.