Suzanne Valery moved to Central Coast in 2004 after 26 years in San Diego, to assume the role of director of institutional grants for Allan Hancock College. As the principal grant writer, Suzanne became familiar with the challenges and obstacles faced by the residents of north Santa Barbara County and successfully articulated those issues, bringing to over 100 new grant projects in support of students’ needs. Suzanne recently retired from AHC and is now seeking meaningful volunteer work, especially at this time in which many of her values are under political attack. Suzanne has a strong commitment to social justice, educational equity, and developing programs and resources for underserved populations. Before working in education, she worked in the nonprofit sector providing case management, employment counseling, and developing self-sufficiency programs in collaboration with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community colleges. Suzanne lives in an “intentional community” in Oceano, a 27-unit intergenerational, self-governing community in which decisions are made by consensus; “co-housing” is an experiment in direct democracy at the most local level – the neighborhood. She currently serves as the president of the community’s homeowners association and also volunteers with Spokes Nonprofit Support Center in San Luis Obispo, offering workshops on various grant-related topics.