Susie serves as President and CEO of Wind River Trust Company and Drumore LLC Family Office. She is the former Colorado Market Leader for U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. In that role, Susie was responsible for the delivery of the firm’s wealth management service. Susie has over 18 years of experience in the areas of estate planning, wealth management, fiduciary law, trust and estate administration, and banking.
Susie received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Oregon. She was a two-time Academic All American and Team Captain of the Women’s golf team. She competed professionally on the Player’s West and Futures Golf Tours before she received her Juris Doctor and LL.M in Taxation from the University of Denver College of Law.
KK: Good morning, Susie! Could you start off by telling me about you?
SR: I grew up in Idaho. My mom worked for the city of Idaho Falls, and we had three city courses where I grew up, so I started playing golf there and working in the cart barn when I was 13. I worked there all through junior high, high school, and college. Then I ended up playing golf in college at the University of Oregon which was super fun. I even played in some mini tours and taught golf a little bit after college. I was on the East Coast when I decided to stop playing. I really loved golf, but you know, I got to a point where I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it professionally, so I got my amateur status back and went to law school where I got my Master’s in Tax. My mom is originally from Colorado, so I had a lot of ties back here, so I ended up going to law school at the University of Denver.
KK: What was the collegiate golf experience like?
SR: I think playing college sports, especially for women, brings great opportunity. I also made some good lifelong friends. In fact, Kelly Green, who's on the CGA Board now, she and I must have been paired together 100 times in college because she played at Arizona, and I played at Oregon. It is great to have this different network of people that you know through golf. You see people's true colors on the golf course. One of the best things to do in business is take a few people out to golf and you'll know who you want to do business with. Remember to just say, “Yes”. If I would go in and ask three guys on my team if they want to play golf on Friday, all three of them would be like, “100%,” and none of them are good. I would go ask my women colleagues and they would be like, “No, I'm not good.” More women need to just get out there!
KK: Do you have a favorite golf memory?
SR: Oh, there's so many. I have so many great memories of my dad caddying for me and helping me navigate my way on the mini tours. Getting to compete, that's one thing I love about golf. I still try to do some USGA events when I can and I love having my spouse Sarah caddie for me.
KK: Since you got your amateur status back, do you play in CGA events?
SR: Yep! I played a few events when I was in law school, and I have played quite a few times in the Mashie Championship with Janet Moore. We've won together three times. I will say having played in a lot of amateur golf events, the CGA runs amazing tournaments. I would say you'd be hard pressed to find a better organization that really runs professional style tournaments for amateurs.
KK: What is your current role on the CGA Board?
SR: As the CGA Treasurer, I get to work a lot with the staff of the CGA and learn more about the inner workings of the organization. It’s been really rewarding, and I just can't believe how strong the CGA is from top to bottom. It's been fun to work with the other board members and be part of the CommonGround expansion. Owning a golf course is such an opportunity and an advantage for the CGA. Having something that's truly a championship caliber golf course, that is public, and accessible for all golfers is really cool.
KK: What do you do for work?
SR: I was recruited about five years ago by a family to run their family office and private trust company. They were looking for someone to replace their current President and CEO, so I stepped in and have not looked back. I kind of straddle the legal and the financial world for one family and I love it. I do something different every day and there’s a lot of planning and problem solving involved.
KK: Are you a member of a club?
SR: In law school, I was a member of Englewood, now Broken Tee, women’s league. I used it as an outlet from studying. And then six years ago, Sarah and I joined Lakewood.
KK: What makes Lakewood Country Club unique?
SR: I think Lakewood is a fun club from the perspective that it is a golfers’ club. There's lots of good men and women players. I love that you can walk and carry or take one of the club’s great caddies. I really like traditional golf courses with a long history, so that’s what really attracted me to Lakewood versus some other clubs.
KK: Is there anything that most people do not know about you?
SR: I ran some caddie barns on the East Coast at exclusive private clubs and I was the only female caddie at Castle Pines Golf Club for a summer when I was in Law School.
KK: That is so cool! What is one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self or younger generations?
SR: I think just be open to opportunities. Like I said to you before just say yes and don't be afraid to challenge yourself. It is okay to fail. I'm such a perfectionist and I think that hurt my golf game when I was younger. As I've gotten older, I have realized that being patient and forgiving of yourself and being willing to take risks is so important.
KK: Thank you so much for your time!