The Inspiring Journey of Susan Beaird in Nonprofit Leadership
With decades of experience and a steadfast commitment to service, Personal Coach Susan Beaird brings integrity, innovation, and inspiration to the Foundation sector. Her coaching values—rooted in empowerment, growth, and purpose—help individuals and organizations stay aligned with their mission while striving for wholeness.
As Founder and President of Lickskillet Plantation in Shreveport, Louisiana, Susan built one of the region’s top commercial Thoroughbred breeding operations. She made history as the first—and only—woman elected Director of the Louisiana Breeders Association.
A longtime insider in the Foundation world, Susan understands both the public-facing and operational sides of nonprofit life. She served three years as a Board Member for the Social Services Division of the National Board of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.), and chaired numerous fundraising efforts across the arts and political spheres.
As Development Director at Clear Spring School, an independent elementary school in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Susan drove dramatic progress—growing enrollment from 10 to 65 students and spearheading the development of a five-acre campus from the ground up.
During her time in Colorado (1989–1998), she worked with the Women’s Foundation of Colorado as an Interim Development Associate and led the Grants Selection Committee for the Northwest sector. Her work included on-site visits, proposal evaluations, and final recommendations to the Board. She also founded and directed Women’s Home Improvement, a nonprofit training low-income women in non-traditional skills such as Carpentry, Plumbing and Electrical.
Today, Susan serves as a Director of the Charles T. and Carolyn W. Beaird Family Foundation, focusing on grants and community needs assessments for low-income neighborhoods and families. Her leadership in Ledbetter Heights—a high-crime, underserved area of Shreveport—included conducting a comprehensive needs assessment and helping establish a Resident’s Association to enhance local agency and direct access to city resources.
Susan’s coaching practice centers on personal and group dynamics, values-driven leadership, and fostering accountability to staff, clients, and communities. She is a certified member of the International Coaching Federation and a graduate of Coach University (CoachU).
A 1994 graduate of the Denver Community Leadership Forum, Susan continues to give back through volunteer work with The Hub and the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA).
Her academic background includes a B.A. in Political Science from Rhodes College (Memphis, Tennessee), graduate studies in Business Administration at LSU Shreveport, and Art History at Southern Methodist University (Dallas).