Susan McLean joined DRNC in December 2018. A Triangle native, she earned a degree in special education from East Carolina University and began her career teaching and developing after-school programs. She later joined the American Red Cross as a blood recruiter before returning to education as part of the administrative team at the Center for International Education (now Participate) in Chapel Hill.
Her winding career path eventually led her to development work, where she spent more than 15 years on the fundraising teams at Duke University (2005–2011) and UNC’s (2011–2018) law schools. She lives in Raleigh with her husband. Together, they cared for her adult brother with an intellectual disability until his passing in 2022.
Whenever she can, Susan escapes to the mountains – visiting her daughter in Asheville or retreating to her tiny cabin off the Blue Ridge Parkway.