Board Chair
Susan West moved to San Juan Island in 2018 largely so her daughter, Marina, could attend Spring Street. Marina is now attending Wellesley College. Susan practices immigration law remotely, for a boutique law firm in San Antonio, Texas; most of her clients are Ismaili Muslims facing religious persecution and problematic human rights conditions in Pakistan and India. She was raised by artists, living in a historic farmhouse in northern Indiana, and moved west as soon as she was able to, heading to Portland for college. Between college and law school, she studied the genetics of migratory seabirds at UCLA and as a Fulbright Fellow in Iceland. Susan’s passions include international travel and sailing, ideally at the same time. She also serves on the boards of Canoe Island French Camp and the San Juan Sailing Foundation. Susan is board chair of the Spring Street board of trustees. She encourages all who believe in the value of humanistic education, international understanding, and ecological balance to contribute to Spring Street’s endowment, held at the SJI Community Foundation.
