Suzanne is the coordinator and founder of the Kalkaska Coalition, now known as Live Well Kalkaska Substance Free Coalition. She voluntarily began coordinating the coalition in 2014. In 2020, she became a paid employee with Up North Prevention, an initiative of Catholic Human Services. Suzanne personally understands the struggles for families who have loved ones with substance use disorder (SUD). As a parent of a child with a co-occurring mental wellness condition, polysubstance use disorder, and early childhood trauma, she made it her mission and passion to help those with SUD and their families. She has also lost two close family members who struggled with SUD to suicide. Suzanne believes in compassion and empathy over "tough love" and meeting people where they are at in the moment. However, she does believe loved ones of those with SUD need to set healthy boundaries for their own well-being. Suzanne is a core member of the Substance Free Coalition of Northwest Michigan and a trained Hope Not Handcuffs Angel. She is on the fundraiser and outreach committees of the Grand Traverse chapter of Families Against Narcotics (FAN), and a co-facilitator for the Kalkaska Stronger Together family and friends support group. An active member of Living Hope Church in Traverse City, Suzanne finds support and encouragement there to continue her life’s purpose and mission of supporting families and individuals with SUD. Suzanne and her husband, Tim, dedicated 21+ years to their country; Suzanne as a military wife and Tim as an Aviation Electrician on the F-14 Tomcat and the F/A 18 Super Hornet. Tim was the flight deck coordinator for the Harry S. Truman when he retired from the Navy in 2009 as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. Suzanne and Tim have two grown sons, four grandsons, and one granddaughter, who they adopted as an infant.