The woman who has become synonymous with the St. Joseph Public Art Project, the City of St. Joseph’s Movies in the Park program, the Downtown Development Authority, the city’s bi-monthly newsletter, and so much more is cashing in her chips. Susan Solon announced to the world of Facebook this morning that she is retiring this summer after a twenty year career with the City of St. Joseph.
Here is what Solon told her friends:
I’m retiring in August! For real! Unbelievable! Yippee!! It has been a great ride and I have loved my 20 years with the City of St. Joseph, but now it is time to breathe and smell the roses; maybe do something with a bit of less stress and a heck of a lot of fun! Can’t wait for this new chapter. I have gained so many fond memories and heartfelt friends. . . I have been blessed! Thank you for the 20 years!
Susan is currently the Director of Communications and Marketing for the City of St. Joseph, and as such has been responsible for creating the city’s newsletter, the annual city calendar, oversight of the city’s website, the annual Public Art project and various other marketing opportunities and events for the city. She has been, by far, one of the most vocal cheerleaders for the city’s success stories and works around the clock to get her job done.
Four years ago, in commenting to the Michigan Municipal League about the annual public art project she grew to love, Susan was quoted as saying, “The Public Art project started out because we had a 33-percent vacancy rate in the winter here in our downtown when I started working for the city 16 years ago.” She then added, “So we developed this to bring vibrancy to our downtown and over the years it’s really brought foot traffic, people love it. We are really becoming known as THE public art destination in the state of Michigan. Our occupancy is 100-percent now, so we’re very excited.”
Her long time friend and downtown merchant Mary Schaut from Fuzzy Butz Pet Bakery says, “I can’t imagine City Hall without Susan. She has a tremendous energy that’s very rare. She truly cares and loves this community with all her heart. I’ll miss you Love Bug!” That “Love Bug” moniker is Susan’s universal nickname for all of her best friends and acquaintances.
Deb Sailor Molitor, who worked extensively with Solon on various committees when she owned and operated Jimmy John’s Sandwich Shop downtown says, “Susan will be missed dearly. Her passion and dedication to the city of St. Joe was second to none! It was a pleasure to work with her on DDA and St. Joe Today, and I’m lucky to call her a friend. I wish her nothing but the best as she moves on to her next adventure.”
At St. Joseph Today, Tess Carragher shares the thoughts of colleagues about Susan’s hard work for the entire community. She says, “Susan Solon’s enthusiasm and dedication drove so many landmark projects and opportunities for St. Joseph; her ongoing commitment to creating a vibrant and engaged community inspires us to continue her work. Her tenacity and passion are truly admirable, and she will be deeply missed. I wish her all the best in her next well, well deserved phase.”
So far as I can recall, Susan started out as the Administrative Assistant to former City Manager Frank Walsh and continually accepted increasing levels of responsibility and accountability and met each challenge head on and with her typical verve. Her LinkedIn profile says she was named Director of Communications and Marketing in 1998, so she may have held that dual role all along.
Her current boss, City Manager John Hodgson, has worked beside her since the beginning. Here’s what he has to say about her: “Everyone knows Susan as the face of the Public Art project since its beginning, and you only have to look outside to see the success that program has had bringing families to our downtown. And she does so many other things to support and promote the community, from coordinating all public special event requests to working with the Downtown Development Authority, St. Joseph Today and Southwest Michigan Tourist Council. I can’t think of a public event in our community that Susan hasn’t worked to make better for our residents, our community, and the visitors. We’ve worked together for 20 years and things will be different without her. I’m so happy for her, and wish her all the best in retirement. I hope she can relax and enjoy the wonderful community she has worked so hard to foster.”
Cornerstone Chamber President Chris Heugel who experienced working with Susan as a former City Commissioner as well as his role at St. Joe Today jokingly responded saying, “It’s about darn time,” and then seriously added, “My experience both at city hall and at St. Joe Today with Susan tell me that she will be sorely missed on all fronts. Her energy and enthusiasm are highly contagious, and she is an absolute joy to be around.” He adds, “She poured her heart and soul into every project she undertook and she will be a very difficult person to replace in many, many ways.”
Solon, St. Joe Today Executive Director Amy Zapal and Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council Executive Director Millicent Huminsky have been game-changers on multiple levels. They were the anchors behind the Community Showcase at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship last month and could often be seen over lunch, drinks or dinner plotting the next great thing for the community.
Zapal says, “Susan’s passion and love for St. Joseph shows in all she has accomplished throughout her career. I am sure she will stay involved and continue to support her community. All of us at St. Joe Today will miss her enthusiastic partnership and endless energy and hope she will continue her involvement with our organization. We wish her all the best in her retirement.”
Huminsky says, “Susan is a dynamo! Her enthusiasm is unparalleled and I will miss her. She always saw the big picture and the value in partnerships. I wish her nothing but the very best in all of her future endeavors. You rock girlfriend!”
Every year, Susan has asked me to photograph each of the public art objects for the brochure that gets distributed to visitors to the city’s central business district and every year she has proclaimed, “This is the best year ever!” This summer’s Knights & Dragons of the Magical Kingdom of St. Joseph mark her 15th exclamation, and it’s hard to imagine the project without her effervescence with each sculpture hitting its mark for the next photo op.
City Manager John Hodgson and his colleagues at city hall are going to have one of the toughest jobs they’ve ever confronted in finding someone to match the dedication and exuberance of one Susan Solon, human dynamo ready to take on whatever challenge comes her way.
