An educator and author who worked for 30 years in corporate America, Suzanne Peck serves on Santa Barbara County’s Commission for Women. Her mission is to promote equal opportunity, safety, and support for women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, and other minorities.
“My father was a Russian immigrant,” she tells me, explaining that he worked as a lawyer and judge who was passionate about fair housing. “I saw him make a difference. I saw a lot of anti-Semitism and racism growing up. I experienced sexual harassment. I want to use my skills and give back.”
Suzanne is particularly excited to talk about her latest project, Pass the Mic. Working with the MAD Academy at Santa Barbara High School, the Santa Barbara Unified School District, and the county’s education and health departments, Pass the Mic consists of three films that feature older teens sharing lessons learned about gender, sexual identity, consent, and knowing your rights. The films will be used for sexual-health education in high schools statewide, as the California Healthy Youth Act requires schools to teach about these issues.