Twenty years ago, Susan Garnett Spears, IOM, helped turn a vision for regional leadership development into what we now know as Leadership Fredericksburg.
Today, as the program celebrates its 20th year, Susan continues to lead that vision as Leadership Fredericksburg’s founding Executive Director and President & CEO of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Susan joined the Chamber staff in 2004 following more than 15 years in retail management and was appointed President of the Chamber in 2010. Throughout her Chamber career, leadership development has remained at the heart of her work. She specializes in leadership development, coaching, team building, strategic planning, governance, advocacy, partnerships and organizational management.
Those skills and experiences helped shape Leadership Fredericksburg into a program designed not simply to teach leadership, but to develop leaders who understand themselves, their organizations and the community around them.
Over the past two decades, Susan has helped guide hundreds of Leadership Fredericksburg participants through that experience, building a network of alumni who have gone on to lead, serve and make an impact throughout the Fredericksburg region and beyond.
Her commitment to developing leaders extends outside of Leadership Fredericksburg. Susan conducts workshops and facilitates leadership discussions for organizations throughout the Commonwealth and has served on expert panels and delivered keynote remarks at women’s forums, graduations and business events. She is also a certified executive, leadership and mentoring coach and host of the Chamber’s Leader 2 Leader podcast.
Service has been another constant throughout Susan’s career. She has held numerous community, regional and statewide leadership positions, including service with Families of the Wounded Fund, Rappahannock Goodwill Industries, the U.S. Chamber Institute for Organization Management Northeast Board of Regents, University of Mary Washington Leadership Colloquium Advisory Board, Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Her contributions have earned recognition including the Patricia Lacey Metzger Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Mary Washington Leadership Colloquium, Chamber Executive of the Year from her VACCE peers, the Women Who Build Community Award from Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity and the Environmental Citizenship Award from Marstel-Day.
Susan is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. She is a certified Planning Commissioner and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Composition from Virginia Commonwealth University.
But perhaps one of the most visible pieces of Susan’s leadership legacy can be found in the people who have experienced Leadership Fredericksburg.
Twenty years. Hundreds of leaders. One vision that continues to grow.
As Leadership Fredericksburg celebrates this milestone year, we also celebrate the vision and commitment that helped make the program possible. For 20 years, Susan has challenged participants to grow as leaders, strengthened connections across our region and created an experience that continues to shape leadership in the Fredericksburg community.
