Susan W. Lee Executive Director (828) 465-9295 tel (828) 464-7727 fax susanlee@catawbacountync.gov

Susan W. Lee - Bio

When Susan W. Lee (formerly Susan Hanley), mother of four young children, lost her husband of 23 years to cancer in July of 1995, she was grief-stricken and understandably overwhelmed. “All I could think was, ‘How am I going to raise all of these children by myself?’” said Lee. Her children are all doing very well, but she readily admits that her “parenting road” has had its share of bumps and curves. “Being a mother is the most important job I have ever had and by far the most difficult,” said Lee. With no ‘instruction manual’ for raising children, I was really uneducated in important areas like appropriate discipline methods, solution building, ‘ages and stages’ development. I wish a Parenting Network had been around when I was trying the learn the parenting ropes.” Susan is now the director of the Catawba County Parenting Network (CCPN), an organization dedicated to equipping, supporting and connecting Catawba County parents with the education and skills they need to provide a strong future for their children. The Network formed when the Partnership for Children (Smart Start) recognized that parents needed a primary source of information about available parenting services. In 1999, the Partnership for Children (Smart Start) created and funded the parent resource coordinator position specifically for Susan. With her background and familiarity with local agencies, Susan combined the services of existing organizations (Children’s Advocacy Center, Children’s Protection Council and Nurturing Network) and developed and implemented the CCPN. CCPN has since created an incredible community collaboration composed of over 42 agency partners along with a 26-member Advisory Board of community leaders. This organization which has grown tenfold since its inception is located in downtown Conover, North Carolina. Its work is funded through a combination of local and state funding including significant in-kind resources from several local agencies. The Parenting Network’s innovation approach to parent education has received several local and state accolades in recent years. In 2004, the Network received a 5 star rating from the Parenting Institute of North Carolina. In 2005, Director Susan W. Lee received a prestigious Champions for Children Award from the Catawba County Partnership for Children. “The first priority of the Parenting Network is to meet the needs of our county’s families by providing a wide continuum of educational opportunities for parents of children from birth to age 18. We offer a single-point entry for parents to access parent education and support services in a stream-lined and non-threatening way. Our one-stop shopping approach is attractive and convenient for today’s busy families,” said Lee. Classes are now available for all families, including those who speak Spanish and Hmong. Susan has involved herself with educating and assisting mothers, women, children and parents since her first years in the workforce as a nurse in New York City. By organizing and directing several innovative programs and working with leading directors and facilities to address women and childrens’ health, wellness and parenting education needs, Susan has become an accomplished leader and advocate who is well-respected by her colleagues and state representatives. “Susan W. Lee has shown great determination in crafting a customer-friendly network that provides a wide variety of programs that respond to the diversity of need,” said Libby Throckmorton, Partnership for Children program manager, in nominating Susan for the 2001 Leadership for a Changing World Award. Not only does Mrs. Lee have a thorough understanding of each program involved (with CCPN), but she also strives to meet personally with as many parents as possible to gain an understanding of their needs, counsel them about parenting programs most appropriate for them, and to learn more about how the Network can evolve and adapt to serve more families,” said Throckmorton. While Susan has dedicated her professional life to help other families, it is her own that has provided her greatest challenge and reward in life – a journey reflected by the sentiment that hangs on the wall in her office: “Children are not things to be molded but people to be unfolded.” As Susan says, her children are “the proudest accomplishments of my life.”

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