ABOUT SUSAN DETWILER

 Susan Detwiler loves working with nonprofit boards and administration. She discovered this love after 25 years in for-profit marketing, and 5 years as head of a nonprofit agency.  There is joy in seeing groups of people come together around a single vision, knowing their roles in making that vision a reality.

Prior to joining the nonprofit sector, Susan founded a successful international health information firm serving Fortune 500 companies. In 2002 she closed her firm to become Executive Director of the Kristol Center for Jewish Life (Hillel) Foundation at University of Delaware. There, she realized that the success of a nonprofit relies on the success of the board.

She now facilitates retreats and provides governance education for diverse organizations including Longwood Gardens, Ecological Landscape Alliance, American Public Gardens Association and The Music School of Delaware. Through the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, she provides education and facilitates interviews, focus groups and town hall meetings for strategic planning clients.

Susan has been active as a lay leader in each community in which she has lived.  She is a past Grants Chair and served as Governance Chair of Delaware Fund for Women. She serves in several capacities for Congregation Beth Emeth (Delaware) and is an active member of Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, BoardSource, Delaware Center for Horticulture and Ecological Landscape Alliance.

Susan earned her BS in Business Administration from State University of New York at Albany, and MBA in Policy and Control from University of Michigan. In her personal life, Susan cares deeply about and advocates for tree equity. She and her husband, Mark, share a love of public gardens and arboreta, and make a point to visit them on all their travels.