Report by Ketan Tirodkar

Bill Gates' Pathfinder International Chairperson has passed away. This is reproduction of the email.

Pathfinder International lost an exceptional friend, supporter, and leader on Tuesday when our board chair, Susan S. Swift, passed away at her home in Florida. Susan joined Pathfinder’s board in 1999 and quickly moved into leadership roles first as board treasurer 2001-04, then as vice-chair 2004-07, and finally as chair in 2007. Susan brought incredible insight and dedication to the role. “As chair, Susan had a remarkable ability to excite dynamic and engaged people who support Pathfinder,” Pathfinder President, Dan Pellegrom, said.

Susan’s passion for Pathfinder’s work emerged from her desire to ensure every person who wanted access to family planning, could have it—particularly in the developing world. She brought keen business acumen to her roles within the organization. As founder and president of Susan S. Swift, Ltd., a consulting firm that focused on the organizational development, executive coaching, strategic planning, and governance needs of health care, education, community service, and other institutions in the public and private sectors, Susan was well versed in making strategic decisions. Prior to her consulting work, she was the chief administrative/financial officer of three large health-related organizations. In addition to her nonprofit work at Pathfinder, she served on a variety of boards and task forces, including Planned Parenthood of Maryland, which she chaired for two years, and the National Osteoporosis Foundation. After moving several years ago, she was asked to join the Board of Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Keys Advisory Committee for the Board of the Red Cross of South Florida.

Susan was deeply committed to Pathfinder’s mission to change and save the lives of women and their families by ensuring access to reproductive health care. Accompanying Dan Pellegrom, Susan traveled to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania in 2004 and saw firsthand the power of Pathfinder’s work on the individuals our projects serve. In 2006, she traveled with her husband, Dr. Michael Berman, to Peru where, together, they observed Pathfinder projects and met with in-country partners.

Her dedication was unwavering. From her wheelchair and in failing health this past Friday, she asked Dan, “Is there anything else I can do for Pathfinder?” Looking back, Dan said, “I don’t think I will ever forget that moment. It was pure Susan. She was always ready to ask the question what she could do for you. Gracious, gentle, competent, and decisive are not words that fit together naturally, but in Susan Swift those words all connected naturally to the same person.”

Susan selflessly helped Pathfinder succeed in its mission for more than ten years. Dan said, “She will be deeply missed. Our hearts go out to Susan’s family, but we know her legacy will live on—in our work she supported so strongly and in our hearts by how deeply we were all touched by her.”