Honoree: Susan B. Parks

(Fletcher)

President & CEO
Orange County United Way

As president and CEO of Orange County United Way, Susan B. Parks leads the nonprofit organization toward improving lives and strengthening the Orange County community so that every person receives a quality education, is financially stable, is healthy and thriving, and has a place to call home. She embraces the United Way mission to improve lives by delivering measurable, long-term solutions to complex issues in education, financial stability, health, and housing. She is a leading community advocate for change, igniting passion for philanthropy and inspiring social responsibility. Parks has a long history with the organization as a former board member and one of the founding members of Orange County United Way Women’s Philanthropy Fund. She was also an active player in the development of the nonprofit’s 10-year strategic plan to achieve substantial and sustainable social change in our county. This community- wide action plan, titled FACE 2024, is a collaborative approach advancing the common good by funding innovative programs, advocating for the voiceless, collaborating with those who have the passion and expertise to get things done, and educating community leaders about critical issues facing Orange County. Today, Parks is an active leader of the campaign and spearheads the work to reach the FACE 2024 goals and create brighter futures for local children and families. Under her leadership, the organization launched three key initiatives to tackle the Orange County community’s most critical issues: United to End Homelessness, aimed at ending homelessness in Orange County for good; United for Financial Security, which empowers Orange County families to achieve financial wellness to get on the path from surviving to thriving; and United for Student Success, which works to ensure all Orange County students graduate high school prepared for college, career, and beyond. Parks also led the team in the administration of approximately $81 million for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), an enormous and time-sensitive undertaking that required precision and speed, while also interfacing and managing relationships with multiple government agencies, vendors, consultants, and technical providers. Every dollar was spent to prevent homelessness for more than 8,931 Orange County families.