Susan Creasy is this year’s winner of the City of Kingston’s First Capital Distinguished Citizen Award.

Susan has been an outstanding volunteer fundraiser with many charities in our community. She sets ambitious goals, has high expectations of herself and others, and consistently surpasses both. 
 
Sue was a member of the Kingston General Hospital board of directors from 2005 to 2007 and currently serves as campaign chair for University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF). In this role, Susan has recruited volunteers, hosted volunteer and donor gatherings, and solicited lead gifts.  As a result of her commitment, UHKF achieved their $65 million goal just two and a half years after the public launch of the first phase of the of the capital campaign. 
 
In her leadership role with the Kingston General Hospital Foundation/UHFK Black Tie Evening (BTE), Susan increased the net revenue raised annually by tens of thousands of dollars. For 17 years she relentlessly sought sponsorships, attendees and contributions generating record-breaking results in each of the years she was Chair/Co-Chair. Through her efforts, KGH patients benefitted from a wide range of patient care equipment purchased with BTE proceeds.
 
Susan had extensive involvement in the organization and growth of The Rose of Hope Charity Golf Tournament through many years and played an important role in helping to focus and grow the proceeds of this event. Susan chaired the committee for three years and was the first Chair to lead the Tournament past the $100,000 mark in net proceeds.  Through her leadership, the Rose of Hope committee fulfilled a $400,000 pledge that purchased chemotherapy chairs and patient amenities for the chemotherapy suite at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario.  Her efforts have profoundly improved the care environment for cancer patients in our region.
 
Before taking on the campaign chair role with UHKF, Susan was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Limestone Learning Foundation, and played an important role as a visionary and key volunteer.
 
When Kingston’s Grand Theatre Restoration Campaign was underway, Susan was a committee member raising corporate funds for project. This was a massive three year restoration project of the historic theatre in Kingston which has resulted in Kingston being home to one of the most attractive and well attended mid-size venues in Ontario.
 
Susan has also served as chair of the CNIB Kingston District Endowment Committee, was an active volunteer and school-based presenter and mentor with Junior Achievement and was president of the Frontenac Lennox and Addington Children’s Aid Society for two years.
 
You would be hard pressed to find a family in our community that has not been touched in one way or another by Susan’s efforts.
 
Her leadership and personal generosity with time, influence and finances, have helped build capacity in organizations serving at-risk children, vulnerable seniors, acutely and chronically ill patients, residents with vision loss, and aspiring future leaders.
 
Susan freely shares from her personal experience as an inspiring way to engage community supporters in the cause. Having suffered some significant personal losses in her life, she knows what patients and their families in our community are experiencing and draws upon her past to engage others in the cause.
 
She has an uncanny ability to take massive projects and break them into manageable tasks, so that community supporters feel able to commit to achievable volunteer roles.
 
Susan has a relentless “can do” attitude and simply won’t be dissuaded from the goals she knows our community is capable of achieving. She consistently “walks the talk”, by giving freely of her time, expertise, finances, energy and passion.
 
Recently, Susan’s professional Institute recognized her commitment by awarding her the J.G. Taylor Award which recognizes outstanding Institute designation holders for their contribution to the financial-services industry and their communities.