Susan Haddon joined Camosun College in May, 2000 as Director of College and Community Relations and Executive Director of the Camosun Foundation. She retired in 2011, and recalls those 11 years as “amazing in every way.” She worked with a talented and fun team and felt honoured to be part of the critically important contribution Camosun makes to its community.
Shortly after she was hired, Susan was asked to help lead a strategic planning initiative. Her most vivid memory of that process was talking with faculty and staff about the college, what it meant to them and what they held dear. The one comment that was repeated often was that Camosun was about community. Throughout her tenure at the college she came to see it as exactly that. “The college is an amazing community; welcoming diversity, respectful of individuals and individual differences, and working together to provide supportive educational experiences that are second to none,” Susan says.
Susan recalls the thank you letters sent by student bursary recipients that brought home the meaningfulness of their educational opportunities and their deep gratitude for a helping financial hand, however small. She also remembers the wonderful soups, salads and full course meals in the Huber
Cafeteria!
Susan’s enthusiasm, positivity and unfailing energy are vividly remembered by all who had the chance to work with her. She was a dynamo when it came to Foundation fundraising events. She was heavily involved in the successful Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence (PISE) campaign and project. She also coordinated the first college-wide graduation ceremony in 2002 and launched the college’s Distinguished and Promising Alumni Award program.
As well, she supported the Insight Speaker Series which ran for 10 years bringing a fascinating roster of close to 30 speakers to the region including Jane Goodall, Romeo d’Allaire and Helen Caldicott, among others.
Submitted by Faye Ferguson, CCARE Retiree