By Emily Lisska
The end of 2023 signaled the conclusion of Susie Scott’s remarkable nine consecutive years as president of the Mandarin Community Club. In total, Susie served 14 terms as president; it was fitting in her final year that the organization celebrated a century of service.
Among her last official acts was welcoming Mayor Donna Deegan to the club’s fourth annual Christmas Tree Lighting, a project created during her tenure to bring the community together in the midst of a pandemic. Her leadership saw the club emerge from the difficult time financially solvent.
Susie proved masterful working with City Council members — in recent years, Michael Boylan and the late Tommy Hazouri. At the same time, she led a dedicated volunteer board that produced projects including the iconic Mandarin Art Festival and an annual tree give-away for Mandarin residents. For a decade, Susie chaired the club’s signature project, the Mandarin Art Festival. A Mandarin tradition, it’s also a funding source to support the club’s mission.
In the early 2000s, she led development of the club’s Billard Park project, a property adjoining the club that stands as a native Florida garden and a site honoring military members. In fact, recently the club’s footprint increased significantly under her guidance with the generous 2023 donation of adjacent property from Marilyn Carpenter, securing another magnificent piece of nature for Mandarin.
Her other leadership projects included collecting hundreds of worn U.S. flags and flag retirement ceremonies in coordination with the Sons of the American Revolution. Susie emphasized much needed blood drives with OneBlood, Holiday Mail for Heroes, Veterans Day ceremonies, program coordination with Mandarin Museum and Historical Society and return of live theater to the club featuring Act II Players.
Her early work with the Mandarin overlay placed Susie in a unique position to lead the club on area planning concerns. She also served as an outstanding steward of Mandarin’s most important historic structure, the 1872 Mandarin School, known today more commonly as the Mandarin Community Club. Dealing with endless building issues, re-establishment of the club’s non-profit status, and paperwork, including grants to fund tree purchases, historic fences and an historic site marker for the club’s 100th year were all in a day’s work for Susie.
As typical of Susie, she hasn’t walked away. She continues to serve on the board as Mark Waterman assumes the presidency. She’ll chair the Mandarin Art Festival once again and she continues to work with critical grant projects to insure Mandarin’s welfare.
Susie, the epitome of unselfish service, provided tireless leadership and exuded deep and an abiding love for the organization and Mandarin at large; she will continue to do so. In fact, she leaves a physical legacy of considerable note — she is personally underwriting construction of a pavilion, nestled in giant oaks and foliage on club property, enhancing the already important work of the club.
Susie Scott is indeed an extraordinary leader.
Photo courtesy Emily Lisska
Susie Scott leads the Mandarin Community Club’s 100th year celebration.
