Susie Garretson, Board Vice President
Susie Garretson was born and raised in Blythe, California to community minded and active parents who loved to roam the desert searching for archaeological sites and water ski on the Colorado River. College consisted of majoring in Chinese at the University of Southern California and then graduating from University of Northern Colorado with a BA in Elementary Education. After teaching in southwest Colorado for several years, in 1978 she moved to Flagstaff to found the Flagstaff Athletic Club with her then husband. She is proud to have served as Owner/General Manager of Operations for 23 years. After a few years of retirement she went to work at Coconino County serving as the Executive Assistant for County Supervisor Mandy Metzger, and then as the Coordinator for the three Diversity Councils. Following in her parent’s footsteps, Susie has been active in the community serving on various boards and committees: Soroptimist International of Flagstaff; Shepherd of the Hills Youth Committee; Coconino County Juvenile Detention Community Advisory Board; Flagstaff Leadership Founding Board; Coconino Community College Foundation Scholarship Committee; Flagstaff Arboretum Board; Friends of Flagstaff’s Future Board (served two full terms in it’s early years and re-upped in 2019); Museum of Northern Arizona Board of Directors; Flagstaff Arts Council. She also has worked on campaigns for County Supervisors Carl Taylor and Mandy Metzger, as well as propositions for the County Jail, Mountain Line, and Coconino Community College. In her personal life, Susie is proud of her two grown sons, Patrick and Jesse. Susie is doing her best to be semi-retired but keeps finding good causes to participate in. However, she does manage to find time to travel, hike, explore, go for long walks with her two dogs, read, movies, and have fun with friends. Susie believes that we are all so lucky to live in this beautiful area on the Colorado Plateau, and that we all have a responsibility to make it a little better in the best way we can. She believes Friend’s of Flagstaff’s Future is crucial to this effort and hopes that more citizens will decide to join and participate. She is honored to serve on the current board with its energetic, caring and knowledgeable members. Keep Flagstaff Funky!