Arthur Ashe once said that “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” When the TILT staff consider all that Susie Wood did during her time here at TILT, we are compelled to believe that she also lives by this tenet.
While it’s been over 10 months since Susie retired as TILT’s Membership Coordinator, her profound impact on both the organization and the people is felt each and every day. Though TILT has lost an irreplaceable member of its team, each one of us has gained an incredible friend and advocate for land conservation.
During Susie’s 15 year tenure at TILT, she played an integral role in the development and implementation of TILT’s membership program and was a critical part of deepening the impact of the organization’s outreach and messaging. Susie worked tirelessly, day in and day out, quietly behind the scenes. Every invitation, every event list, every name tag, every newsletter was carefully crafted and/or scrupulously edited by her watchful eye for detail, spelling and grammar.
The roles that Susie took on at the office exceeded any sort of job description and went far beyond the duties of a mentor. What we learned from her professionally and what she taught us about life is truly immeasurable. Susie had an incredible superpower of seeing each one of us wholly and providing precisely what we needed in any given moment – whether it was a piece of sage advice, a swift kick in the rear or a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. It is bittersweet to reflect back on all that we accomplished.
Together, we forged a new path forward for TILT. We are truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work alongside Susie. And even more so, we are blessed to be able to call Susie our friend. For that, we are forever grateful. Susie not only made a difference through her work at TILT, but in the heart of the people she interacted with. She brought an authentic sense of comfort and stability to the organization, making it feel like a true family.
On behalf of the TILT Board, members and volunteers we extend our sincerest appreciation to Susie for continuing to share her steadfast wisdom, thoughtful eyes and ears, and unwavering love. We wish Susie the best in this next chapter of her life.
Your Friends, The TILT Staff.
