About Susan
Deep Camarillo Roots
In 1976, Susan’s parents moved their family from Pittsburgh, PA to Camarillo, so that her father could serve in the US Navy. Susan has called Camarillo home ever since. Both sets of her grandparents followed and moved into Leisure Village, where they lived out the rest of their lives.
Susan has raised her two sons, Nick-22 and Matt-20, in Camarillo, both are in college now. Her parents, Edy and Sal, still live here and are very active in the community.
Nursing Career
Susan’s calling was nursing, which was a wonderful combination of her parents’ vocations; her father was a surgeon and her mother an educator and therapist.
- Began her nursing career at St. John’s Regional Medical Center.
- She was promoted to Prehospital Care Coordinator and then to the Nurse Manager of the Emergency Department.
- Served as the Performance Improvement Coordinator for the Santa Barbara Emergency Medical Services Agency
- Then, as the Program Coordinator for Critical Care Transport Team with American Medical Response.
- Susan returned to graduate school and earned her Master of Science in Nursing in 2015. She was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing in 2017.
- She went to work at Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families as the Assistant Director of Health Services.
- When Covid hit, Susan helped navigate the organization through the complexities and ever-changing pandemic guidelines.
- In 2021, Susan went to work for Wellpath, the company that provides contracted medical and psychiatric services for the Ventura County Jail system. She now works alongside the Ventura County Sheriff Jail deputies, technicians, and law enforcement agencies across the county.
One of Susan’s proudest achievements...
In 1999, Susan was instrumental in bringing Service Employees’ International Union to St. John’s nurses. Susan helped lead the campaign for Union Representation at the hospital and served on the first Contract Negotiation Team. The nurses were able to secure safer staffing ratios, improved benefits and pay, and a place on the organizations’ Patient Care Committee. Susan became a spokesperson for Safe Staffing across the greater Los Angeles area. This helped set the stage for the passing of AB-394, a CA state law that mandated nursing ratios in all patient care areas and ensured patient safety. California is the only state today to mandate nurse-patient ratios.
Community Involvement
Before being elected to the city council, Susan was involved in community service for many years.
Donating her time & medical knowledge
- Doctors Without Walls Street Medicine Team, which provided medical care to the homeless.
- Served on the Medical Reserve Corps.
While her sons were growing up
- AYSO Team Mother, Regional Referee, CYBA & CPBA Scorekeeper and Team Mother.
- She was a member of the Camarillo Heights Elementary PTA, Monte Vista Middle School PTA, and the Rio Mesa High School PTO.
- Served as the Board Secretary & President for the Rio Mesa High School Music and Pageantry Boosters Club.
Volunteering for local organizations
- Volunteered for Ventura County Animal Shelter, fostering newborn kittens in her home
- Volunteered with KidSTREAM Children’s Museum
- Served as a judge for numerous Rotary Club Youth Speech competitions.
During Susan’s First Term in Office…
Susan has served on multiple council committees and regional boards including:
- Finance and Investment Committee,
- Citizen Appointment Committee,
- Economic Development and Land Use Committee,
- Liaison/Intergovernmental Committee,
- Public Safety/Emergency Preparedness Committee
- Ventura County Airport Authority (Chair),
- Clean Power Alliance (CPA) of Southern California,
- CPA Executive Committee,
- CPA Finance Committee (Chair),
- Ventura County Animal Services Commission,
- Regional Defense Partnership,
- Ventura County City Selection Committee,
- League of California Cities
Susan accomplished a lot
in her first term as councilmember.
Most importantly, she helped the city navigate through the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Susan proposed a grant and loan program to support our local businesses, and the city awarded $1 million in grants and began a $1 million loan program for our small businesses.
She and the council ensured that businesses could operate under the changing Public Health Guidelines by directing the city staff to work closely with them to set up safe and attractive outdoor operations.
Scoring a huge win for fighting climate change, Susan pushed the council to adopt the 100% Green Energy default power level with Clean Power Alliance. Camarillo can now take pride in knowing that the city is making a huge contribution to reducing its carbon footprint.
With Susan’s leadership, the city has maintained a balanced budget with healthy reserves throughout the pandemic, despite the loss of sales tax revenue and the uncertainties of the economy.
With Susan, the city completed the construction of the North Pleasant Valley Desalter, a project that has been recognized nationally and locally.
Susan helped guide the council to have more in-depth review of and discussion about the city’s contract with the Ventura County Sheriff Organization, which has led to improved oversight and understanding of operations.
With Susan’s direction, a Public Art/Mural program is underway, and with a lot of community input, the Dizdar Park renovation plans are just about complete.
Susan and the council have approved an in-depth Local Road Safety Plan based on a Safety Study that was just completed.
Susan, who chairs the Camarillo Airport Authority, has also been instrumental in preventing any expansion of the Camarillo Airport.
Susan has spent an entire career caring for people who are sick. She has advocated for those in need. She has helped shape public policy. She knows how to remain calm under pressure, and how to thoughtfully make decisions that impact people’s lives. She has managed budgets and a large workforce with very limited resources. As an educator, she understands how to motivate people, how to collaborate, and how to affect dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
Over the past four years, Susan’s experience and skills have grown immensely; she has learned so much about our community and its residents and about how local government operates.
Susan will continue to use all of her skills to lead Camarillo into the future, with a vision that ensures sustainability, open spaces, opportunity for all, public safety, and economic vitality.
