About Suzanne Morse, Ph.D.

As president of the Pew Partnership for Civic Change and seminar leader, Suzanne Morse leads a team that provides solutions to some of our toughest societal issues to cities, towns, and regions across America.

Morse's work as an author, speaker, and advocate for the importance of civic partnerships and citizen leadership to strong democratic communities is widely recognized. Her latest book, Smart Communities: How Citizens and Local Leaders Can Use Strategic Thinking to Build a Brighter Future (Jossey-Bass, 2004), uses a common sense framework and tested examples of successful civic initiatives to argue for a strategic approach to long-term community change.

In her next book, America's Thriving Communities - What Makes the Difference, Suzanne Morse takes the Smart Communities concept to the next level answering the question "What do thriving communities do differently than the rest?" Using a model that evaluates the vibrancy of the economy and the quality of life, Morse analyzes 380 American communities to determine which are the most successful and least successful and why.

Morse was recently named a fellow of Virginia Tech's Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement. "The COTA fellowship is a wonderful opportunity to exchange best practices and tested solutions from communities across the nation to Roanoke and the region," says Morse. "I am excited to bring my 25 years of experience with hundreds of successful community ventures to the COTA fellowship. The seminars and leadership training we will be offering will build on the talents and resources already in place to invent a very bright future."