Atlantic Ave Magazine October 2016 Issue

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regulars ║ city people
City People
The Quintessential Lady Of Grace
SUSAN DUANE
By Diane Feen
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Photo by melissa korman
There are few people who can rise to any occasion
while keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
Susan Duane is one of them.
The mother of three, wife, philanthropist, volunteer
and brainiac has been contributing to the betterment
of Delray Beach for many years.
But it’s not just something she does to pass time
when her kids are away, it’s the inherent nature of
her being. “I truly want to leave the world a better
place then when I found it. This quote says it all: ‘I
shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do
or any kindness I can show to any human being; let
me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I
shall not pass this way again.’”
Though the quote was written by Quaker Missionary
Etienne de Grellet, it has been the blueprint for Duane’s
earthly journey. If there’s one thing that this Pittsburg
native learned early on in life it’s that what one does
matters, so you better make sure it’s done right.
And make no mistake, Duane is known for her perfection.
“Susan is the most hardworking, smart, dedicated
volunteer I’ve ever met. The overachiever in her
comes through everything she does,” said Impact 100
Palm Beach County co-founder Tandy Robinson.
And Duane does a lot. She was on the original Women
of Grace Committee (for the Bethesda Hospital
Foundation) and chaired their annual event in 2012.
She (and husband Marshall) chaired a capital campaign
to renovate and update The First Presbyterian Church
of Delray Beach Fellowship Hall and Gardens, and they
chaired the 50th Annual Bethesda Ball in 2005.
Duane’s imprint has been on many important
causes and organizations, but her heart is now firmly
entrenched in one that captivates the sum total of
her selfless commitment to a higher purpose. “My life
experience has led me to be passionate about Impact
100. I learned firsthand what a $100,000 grant can
mean to a nonprofit. It allows them to reach for lofty
goals that may have been impossible for them achieve.”
Some of the recipients of Impact 100’s philanthropic
greatness are the expansion of the local YMCA Drowning
Prevention Program, the Equine- Assisted Therapies
new horse (Gus), and assistance to The Soup
Kitchen Meals on Wheels Program.
Many other organizations have been helped by
Impact 100 of Palm Beach County, but the one constant
is that women of all ages (and backgrounds)
come together to help those less fortunate. By donating
$1000 a year each, they have awarded grants to
Alzheimer’s Community Care, American Association
of Caregiving Youth, Camelot Community Care, Delray
Students First and others.
When this local chapter started out five years ago
there were 148 members. By the fourth year there
were 436 and currently there are 532 members. By
pooling their resources (both financial and intellectually)
the organization has reached spectacular heights.
Their belief is that ordinary women can make an extraordinary
impact on society.
We agree. But women like Duane are anything but
ordinary women. She graduated high school at 16,
remembered every Impact 100 members name (until
last year), has organizational skills that would make
a CEO cry with envy, and is the quintessential Mother
of the Year.
Duane’s intelligence quota is something she would
rather not discuss, but she will admit she started as
a freshman at Tulane University at the age of 16. She
also traveled the world with her father as a teenager
while he was working as an engineer. “My father took
me where his business took him, mostly the northeast.
He also took me to Europe as a teen to England, France,
Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.”
But when she speaks, it’s often to tout the accomplishments
of organizations like Impact 100. “I am
extremely proud of what we have accomplished in
five years. We’ve invested over $1.5 million in our
community. As a team we’ve funded amazing projects
proposed by tremendously capable nonprofit profes-
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October 2016 | www.AtlanticAveMagazine.com