Meet Susan Jordan:
A true leader with a depth of life experience
Susan Jordan has been endorsed by Lilly Ledbetter, the inspiration for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first piece of legislation signed by President Barack Obama.
Susan Jordan is an award-winning environmental leader, businesswoman, health advocate and mother with 15 years of experience working to protect California’s coastline as an economic, environmental and recreational resource.
A leading Democratic candidate for the 35th State Assembly District seat, Susan brings a lifetime of experience meeting a payroll, managing a business, and raising a child while dedicating her life to the betterment of her community. Susan understands that taking the politically safe road does not always serve the public good and she has never been afraid to take on the special interests and fight for what is right.
After earning her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Susan worked as a community health educator in her position as the Director of Community Relations for the Women’s Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
A champion for women’s issues and expanded health care options for all, Susan’s first experience as a public policy advocate was as a volunteer for the National Women’s Health Network. Susan served as the Chair of the Barrier Methods Committee and spearheaded a seven-year campaign to gain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a barrier method of birth control still in use today.
Susan’s interest and commitment to public policy analysis and reform grew during the 14 years she spent as a business management consultant. In her position as Senior Partner, Susan advised business clients and supervised a staff in the research arm of a large national strategic business development and consulting firm.
Susan eventually left her business career to devote herself to environmental protection. She served as Chair and Member of the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission from 2002-2005, where she tackled regional planning concerns with an analytical and balanced approach. Susan gained a solid reputation for listening to all sides of an issue, and making fair and balanced decisions, which protected our environment while encouraging the development of new jobs and housing affordable to working families.
Susan is often interviewed by statewide media on environmental issues such as the Superfund site at the old Halaco plant in Oxnard.
As Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit California Coastal Protection Network, Susan has used her effective advocacy skills, working with organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club to protect our coastline from renewed offshore oil development and massive, precedent-setting industrial projects including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal siting. She’s also worked to protect and restore state parks and wetlands.
In 2007, Susan led the defeat of BHP Billiton’s proposal to build an LNG terminal off the coast of Southern California. In 2008, she helped lead the defeat of a proposal to build a Toll Road through one of Southern California’s most magnificent coastal State Parks – an effort recognized by the Environment Now Foundation as one of the top Environmental Achievements in Southern California in 2008.
Susan has been an effective advocate for key strategic environmental laws, including ground-breaking legislation on coastal land use regulation (SB 497-Sher) and LNG siting standards (SB 426-Simitian, SB 412- Simitian).
Susan Jordan and her family: husband Pedro Nava, son Jedd.
Co-founder of Vote the Coast, Susan has also served as Board Member for the League of Coastal Protection (1996-2000) and Board Member for Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. She was recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1997; and received the Wells Family Award for Coastal Protection by Environment Now in 1999; Ecological Integrity Award by the Ventura Chapter of Earth Charter in 2005; and the Environmental Hero Award by the Environmental Defense Center in 2006.
She earned her Masters of Social Work in 1978 at the University of Pennsylvania, and her Bachelor of Arts in 1974 from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.
Susan Jordan and her husband, Assemblymember Pedro Nava, live in Santa Barbara. She is the mother of one son, Jedd, age 21, who is in his senior year at college.
