Susan Rae-Reeves / Board Member

Susan was born in Lewiston, Maine, grew up in Auburn, and attended local public schools. After completing a BA in religion at Bates College, she left Maine for NYC and two transformative years at Union Theological Seminary. UTS at that time was a hotbed of feminism, black studies, and liberation theology. After UTS, Susan worked at Christianity & Crisis Magazine and then New World Foundation, which segued into a career fundraising for several community-based and city-wide not-for-profit organizations, including The Center for Children & Families, Goddard Riverside Community Center and Kingsbridge Heights Community Center.

 Pursuing more direct involvement in services and programs, Susan completed a MSW degree at Hunter College School of Social Work in Administration and Community Organizing. At JBFCS, Susan was introduced to the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB) through their Undoing Racism Workshop. This gave traction to a previously unexpressed interest in racial justice, and led to involvement in several ongoing initiatives, including the JBFCS Confronting Organizational Racism leadership team, and co-facilitating two PISAB monthly antiracist discussion groups, one for white people and one multiracial.

 Susan’s final two years in NYC were spent managing a clinical service coordination program for adults living with serious mental illness in the Bronx and Harlem, and working with a group to have Russell (Maroon) Shoatz moved from solitary confinement into general population in federal prison.

 These experiences were the pivot to moving home to Maine, where she lives with Adam Rae-Reeves, 4 semi-feral cats and a rescue pup from Alabama. Retired in 2017, Susan is enjoying life off the employment treadmill, occupied with political activism, volunteer service, enjoying nature, listening to music and reading.