Susie Lee is one of Nevada’s most committed community advocates. She has dedicated the majority of her adult life to improving the lives of Nevada’s children, women, and homeless families. For over 20 years, Susie has brought people together to forge innovative solutions and help thousands of Nevadans lead better, safer, and healthier lives. Since 2010, Susie has led Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS), serving as its President of the Board. The goal of CIS is to increase the high school graduation rate by ensuring there are caring adults providing personal support to children who are at risk of dropping out. The organization serves 44,000 students in 43 schools statewide, including 15 on the westside and in North Las Vegas. In the last school year, 87 percent of students in the program graduated on time, compared with 62 percent statewide. As one of eight children growing up in a single income family, Susie learned the values of hard work and stretching a dollar, starting with a paper route that she began at the age of eight. Her father was a military veteran who worked at an Ohio manufacturing plant, and her mother stayed home to care for Susie, her brother, and six sisters. Susie also learned firsthand the value of a good education. After graduating from public schools, Susie worked her way through Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with a combination of scholarships, loans, and part-time jobs, including jobs in the library and cafeteria. Susie graduated with honors, earning a master’s degree in public management. Throughout high school and college, she found support from mentors and coaches who helped keep her on the right path. After college, Susie worked at an environmental and economic consulting firm in Massachusetts, specializing in water resource issues. She then met her husband, Dan, and moved with him to Las Vegas in 1993. She immediately became active in the Las Vegas community. She served as a campaign policy advisor to Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones and was the founding Executive Director of a homeless shelter for single women, families, and single parents with children. In 1995, she became the founding director of the After-School All-Stars (ASAS). Now in its 20th year, ASAS provides 5,000 local children with after-school activities and enrichment programs. Susie remains a committed member of the Board and the organization is active in 13 Nevada schools, five of which are on the westside and in North Las Vegas. Susie’s advocacy for better education and a strong community has led her to serve on the Superintendent’s Educational Opportunities Advisory Committee, the Prime 6 Advisory Committee, the Clark County School District English Language Learners Program Task Force, the State Accountability Advisory Committee, UNLV’s Lincy Institute Education Community Advisory Board, and as a Board Member for The Guinn Center. She also supports a wide range of local non-profit organizations, most notably Nevada Women’s Philanthropy (NWP), where she is a former President. NWP has awarded more than $4 million to local service organizations, including Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow, Public Education Foundation, Legal Aid, Rape Crisis Center, Salvation Army, and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and Goodwill. In addition, Susie has provided her time and commitment to the Public Education Foundation, Special Olympics, and Girl Scouts. Susie and her husband live in Las Vegas and have two children, Nevada and Cody.