Profiles in Creativity: 5 Questions with Board Vice Chair Susan Russell
1. Can you tell us a little about your background? I grew up in Pittsfield and attended public schools here. After college I moved to California and started a varied working life. I have been a commercial banker, a career transition and organization development counselor, a management consultant, a university professor, and a diplomat. I retired to the Berkshires because I have friends and family here and to enjoy the cultural institutions and the area's natural beauty. I've served on non-profit boards everywhere I have lived for an extended period.
2. What makes Flying Cloud’s mission powerful for you? For me, the experiential aspect of Flying Cloud's programming is the most powerful part of its mission. Even for children who respond well to being educated by reading or listening, the most exciting part of learning is doing. Being able to see what they are capable of on their own does more than teach them a skill or a concept. It allows them to develop a sense of agency, to experience the joy of obtaining a desired result, to discover that even a mistake can be valuable, and learn that you can almost always start over.
3. What interests you most about Flying Cloud? Flying Cloud's focus on STEM education, particularly for girls, is what first brought me to the organization. My high school yearbook states that I was planning to be a lawyer or a research chemist. Although I did neither, I believe that the types of thinking required in the STEM fields, particularly in science, are vitally important for everyone. Science was a key part of public school programs when I was a student--all the way through high school. I learned how to test a hypothesis, evaluate data, assess the reliability of sources of information, and weigh alternative approaches to solving problems. I believe a greater focus on these skills is needed in today's society more than ever.
4. Where do you see Flying Cloud in 5 years? Flying Cloud is a local leader in STEM and SMART education due to its after-school and summer programs in these areas. In five years, as we are able to expand our programming, both in-person and virtual, I'd like to see its leadership in these areas recognized more widely. This recognition has already begun through its work with Community Learning in the Berkshires. I'd also like to see a broader awareness of FCI's professional development programs for teachers and its efforts to reduce educational inequity.
5. Tell us about your hobbies… I love to travel and have either lived in or visited 25 states, 47 countries, and six continents. When travel is opened up again, I plan to add the seventh continent to my list. I'm dealing with the pandemic restrictions by reading voraciously, indulging in a guilty pleasure of watching superhero and action movies, and walking with my 15-year-old dog (who has lived with me on three continents and seems to enjoy travel and new experiences as much as I). ❤︎