"I Build Dreams with a Hammer."
Susan Green
Northlands Board member.
Board Chair with Habitat for Humanity.
Meet Susan Green, Northlands Board Member. The personification of the term "pillar of the community." Whether she's drywalling a home for well-deserving Edmontonians with Habitat for Humanity or rebuilding the lives of children of AIDS in South Africa, Susan believes in the power of connecting people within a community for the betterment of the entire community and society. That's also why she believes in building Northlands, a place that built so many of her most cherished memories.
Q & A
Susan Green
Why do you choose to support Northlands?
I originally became involved with Northlands when I was the VP External at the U of A. I saw it was important to provide the university with another way to build links to the business and agricultural communities. The more involved I became, the more impressed I became with the breadth and depth of the operations and the amount of people that are touched by Northlands.
What's been your favourite Northlands moment or experience?
My favourite Northlands moment goes back a long way, to when my two boys were about 6 and 8. It was a very hot day at the summer exhibition, then called Klondike Days. We decided to go on the log ride. My boys suggested that I sit at the front of the log. They had obviously been watching what happened to the people who sat in the front seat. I had not. Needlessly to say, everyone got wet but I got particularly soaked. It was just such a moment of pure joy! That's a cherished memory for me.
What was your first concert at Northlands?
My first concert was Stevie Wonder. I had never been to the Coliseum before. Where I grew up in Saskatchewan our hockey rinks were freezing cold. So when my date said the concert was in the arena, I got all bundled up. I was so embarrassed when we got there. But it ended up being an amazing experience—to be part of that huge crowd watching such a great musician.
Corn Dogs or Mini Donuts?
Normally I would choose savoury over sweet every time, but there's just something about those warm Mini Donuts that make it very hard to resist having at least one each summer.
How has Northlands changed your life?
Northlands has changed my life in many of the same ways Habitat for Humanity has. Both have provided me with the opportunity to reach out into the community and work with people for the betterment of our community and our province.
What's the one thing about Northlands you want to tell Edmontonians
that they might not know?
I think we have some of the best volunteers, staff and event organizers in the country. We have an amazing facility in the EXPO Centre, which is the largest of its kind west of Toronto. We have a deep-rooted commitment to acting in the best interest of our community. All of that comes together and creates a huge economic impact. I mean a billion dollar impact last year alone. It's amazing. I don't know which other organizations in our city create that kind of impact in our community.
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