March Employee Spotlight- Susan Dougherty-Guild

For the month of March, we are honored to spotlight Susan Dougherty-Guild who is the Director of our Guardianship agency.

Suzy first met Bridge Founder Henk Wapstra and former colleague Sharon Black in the mid 80”s- as they all served persons with disabilities. In 2011, she returned to school to become a Certified Professional Guardian and was invited by Bridge to be a Guardianship intern when she completed the program in 2012.  Suzy has been a full-time professional guardian with Bridge since 2018.

Suzy and her husband Bob are members of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland- one of our Beacon Churches.  She has two children- Kaitlin and Jordan- who live locally and fortunately, she gets to see them frequently.  She is also excited about her first grandchild due in May!  Suzy is a huge sports fan- especially of several Seattle teams like the Kraken and the Washington State Cougars. Other hobbies include reading and traveling- with many places she still hopes to visit one day.

As a Social Worker for over 40 years, Suzy has worked with many guardians both family and professional. There are many people with developmental disabilities in Washington State who need guardianship services and Suzy feels it is important for disabled citizens who need support to have someone reliable to express the client opinions and advocate for their health, living arrangements, personal and financial needs, and their rights. 

Suzy would also like to share one her most favorite Bible verses: Psalm 27:1  “The Lord is my light and my salvation;  whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength and stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”  Reciting this verse often to herself helps her reduce fear and anxiety on a daily basis.

And those who know how important her contributions are to the mission of Bridge also have a little something to share regarding Suzy:

Suzy is so generous with her time. When it comes to our clients, she will do whatever it takes to help them whether it’s spending time with them holding their hands in the hospital or on the phone fighting for their benefits. She loves serving people and God. -Michelle, CPG

Suzy is Guardianship’s guiding light.  She has dedicated more than 4 decades of her life serving the community in human services.  She has a big heart, and her insight into the community she serves is golden.  – Donna, Guardianship Financial Director

Suzy’s background in social service benefits planning is a huge godsend not only for Bridge but most importantly our clients!  -Brenne, Executive Director

Categorised in: Bridge Story