Moran served more than 30 years
The only full-time executive director S.O.S. Inc. has known will retire from the job at the end of June, according to an announcement from the organization.
“It’s going to be bittersweet, I’m sure,” Susan Moran said in a brief telephone interview on Monday.
Moran helped lead S.O.S. for more than 30 years.
“Under her leadership, what started as a small, grassroots organization has evolved into a multi-dimensional, professionally staffed, 26-person agency recognized statewide for advocacy against sexual and domestic violence, child abuse and neglect,” an S.O.S. news release stated.
Moran was one of the founders of the organization and has been a leader in its evolution over the years.
She was president of the area’s National Organization for Women chapter when its sexual assault committee was organized under the leadership of Pat McClenny. McClenny, who worked full-time for the mental health center, was chair of the sexual assault committee. For several years, her employer allowed her to devote one full day each week to the work of committee, which became Sexual Offense Services. Paula McKinney Drake Hurt took over for McClenny when the latter began work on a master’s degree in social work. Moran, who had been busy raising young children — P.J., Paige, and Patrick — with her husband Jeff, eventually took over when Hurt left the part-time position to go to law school.
Moran already had been on the Core Commission, which was the organization’s board. It was those members who coaxed her to take the job.
“I just thought, ‘There’s no way.’ Public speaking’s not something I cherished,” Moran recalled. “I finally succumbed.”
The part-time job grew into a full-time executive directorship, with Moran earning statewide recognition for her knowledge and work with victims of sexual assault and violence.
While those honors gave her pleasure, the true job satisfaction came from the cumulative accomplishments over the decades.
“To watch an organization grow from the idea of a small group of six to seven women to the organization that it is now and to see the exponential growth of services for victims has been a challenge and an honor,” she was quoted as saying in the news release. “It is time for me to pass the torch to new leaders who will bring fresh ideas and take this agency to new levels. I remain dedicated to the mission of SOS and plan to continue supporting the agency for many years to come.”
Among her numerous accomplishments include creation of a safe shelter and outreach program, CASA of the Flint Hills, the Child Advocacy Center and Child Visitation Exchange Center. Each of those groups focuses on the safety of people affected by abuse.
Under her tenure, S.O.S. has grown from an office with one part-time staff person in Emporia to an multi-faced organization with 26 full-time staff people in Lyon and five additional counties — Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Morris and Osage, the release stated.
Moran has been subtly easing the path to retirement, by trimming work days to four a week to enable the organization to afford a development coordinator.
“I’m just kind of slowly getting into it,” Moran said this week as she talked about her post-retirement plans.
Cleaning out the basement closets is on her to-do list, as are several projects family members have identified.
“I want to keep my fingers in stuff,” she said, explaining that she intended to continue some work with S.O.S., although not in a leadership capacity. “One thing I want to do right away, I love going to the shelter, reading to the kids and rocking them. I love that.”
Moran will assist with the transition, as the S.O.S. board of directors conducts an executive search to fill the position.
People who want to send a message to Moran may e-mail her at Susan@soskansas.com, the news release stated.