Susan Chalifoux Zephir (Class of 2009)

Sue joined the Emerge class when she narrowly lost her race for State Representative. Emerge gave her to tools to start her next campaign stronger than ever and run it smarter. In November 2009, she topped the ticket for Leominster City Council, beating out every incumbent.

The current Business Manager for WGBH Educational Foundation's Interactive unit for over fifteen years, Sue has been a business and production manager for WGBH.

Born and raised in Leominster, Sue has been an active volunteer in the community working to bring people together from across the city to make a positive difference.

Sue was elected to the Leominster City Council where she served as finance chair and worked for former State Senator Robert Antonioni on his budget staff at the Massachusetts State House.

In 1993, Sue chaired the Friends of the Leominster Public Library and organized the first Annual Giving Campaign to raise funds to modernize the library. Since then, Sue has continued to work to support the library.  She was Chair of the Library Building Feasibility Committee and Chair of the Library Renovation and Expansion Fundraising Committee which raised over $1.2M to furnish and equip the newly renovated library.  Sue currently serves on the Library's Building Committee.

Sue has served on various non-profit boards including as a founding member of the Leominster Land Trust which works to protect Leominster's environment and promote responsible development and Our Father's House which provides support programs and services for the homeless.

Sue is married to local business owner Ed Zephir and is the mother of three daughters.  She earned an MBA from Simmons College School of Management and BA in Foreign Affairs from Assumption College. A volunteer on many local, state and national political campaigns, Sue is passionate about politics and public service and looks forward to running for political office in 2010.