A look back: 2023 Woman of the Year Susanne Blue
Last year, the distinguished Inspire Woman of the Year Award was presented to Susanne Blue. At the time of the awards ceremony, she had recently retired from Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach after 30 years, including 25 as its executive director. “Winning the Woman of the Year came at a time of transition for me,” Susanne said. “Certainly, it was a tremendous honor for me personally, but it also shined a light on the work of Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach.”
As the first executive director of Matt Talbot, Susanne spearheaded its transition from a shared space on 19th and R streets to its current location just off North 27th Street. Under her leadership, the organization’s staff grew from a team of two to a team of 24, and the kitchen operations experienced a significant increase, reaching a peak of serving approximately 3,500 unique individuals annually. Additionally, the number of programs and services offered by Matt Talbot expanded greatly during Susanne’s time there. She expressed her pride in the position Matt Talbot was in when she retired. “There was a strong and dedicated leadership team in place, a new experienced leader with deep compassion, strong financial health, and a good reputation in the community.”
Susanne emphasized the importance of maintaining an open mind and heart in a person’s professional journey and encourages people to try new experiences and keep learning. She said she truly strives to live by the core values of a social worker: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. “I am also a person who relies on her faith, so I pray a lot,” Susanne said. “I also learned how important it is to listen, especially to those who have life experience. Who better to learn from?”
Not long after her retirement, Susanne was asked to serve on the board of directors for the Lincoln Community Foundation. She said she was grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the community and advocate for causes near and dear to her heart, like access to safe and affordable housing for Lincoln residents living in extreme poverty. “I’m meeting community leaders and expanding my reach beyond the non-profit sector,” she said. Susanne is also teaching an introduction to sociology class at Concordia University, Nebraska. “It has definitely stretched me and allowed me to grow. I’ve been out of my comfort zone on more than a few occasions, but when you see the light bulb go off in a young person’s mind, it is more than worth it.”
Over the last year, Susanne has enjoyed traveling, gardening, cooking, and spending more -me with family and friends. She also has a new puppy. “Henri brings a lot of joy to our family, but you can’t take your eyes off him for a minute!”
