More About Susan
My personal life
I was born in South Korea and immigrated to America when I was 4 years old. Before my parents decided to make a life in the U.S., my father worked for the government and my mother had a nursing career. Once in the States, they worked long difficult hours and eventually decided to open a dry cleaning store, working from sunup to sundown 6 days a week.
Like many other parents, they sacrificed a lot of themselves to make sure their children had what they needed, including supporting me through college and law school. Unlike me, my parents were not able to attend many school or extracurricular events and did not feel comfortable enough with their English or American culture to be active members of the PTA or wider town organizations. But they found a community in their Korean-American church, where I started to develop a sense of who I am as an Asian-American. I learned through watching my parents that helping and being of service to others in your community, even in small ways, is something that you just do no matter what your life circumstances.
My professional life
I have a bachelor's degree (AB) in Sociology from Bryn Mawr College and I earned a Juris Doctorate (JD) at Rutgers School of Law - Newark. Prior to law school, I worked for the Legal Aid Society Civil Division, where I assisted clients facing eviction from both privately-owned and public housing. After law school and a brief stint in the legal field, I decided to pursue a career in research administration at Weill Cornell Medicine. Currently, I am the research policy manager at NYU Langone Health. I have extensive experience negotiating contracts with large pharma and medical device companies and academic institutions. My current role is in policy and process management, development, and implementation, where I collaborate with multiple stakeholder groups across all levels of the institution.
My volunteer and passion projects
I am very passionate about community-building, direct impact volunteer service, and connecting individuals to empowering resources. I have worked with a range of non-profit organizations over the last 15+ years. I am a longtime volunteer at Toni’s Kitchen and a member of its Advisory Committee. I have been an active member of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders of Montclair (AAPI Montclair) Advocacy Committee since its inception, working on local and state issues that impact AAPIs and other communities. I led its nonpartisan AAPI Get Out The Vote initiatives. I am a member of the Vestry (governing board) of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, where I have served on committees addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and new leadership development. In 2020, my husband and I established the Kaija Jung Andersen Memorial Scholarship fund through the Montclair Scholarship Fund in memory of our late daughter, to support Montclair High School college-bound Seniors. I also enjoyed volunteer work as a class parent at Nishuane Elementary School and continue to volunteer with early childhood literacy programs.
My fun side!
You may have seen me running around Montclair with a beanie on my head! I love to run, hike, practice yoga, enjoy arts and cultural events around town, eat delicious food, read, and travel (which I would love to do more often).