Biography
Susan DeVenny serves as President & CEO of the Arras Foundation in Lancaster, SC. Together with staff, trustees, community advisors, and partners, the Foundation focuses on building a vibrant community for all people.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Susan served SC children and families as Charter Trustee and State Director at SC First Steps to School Readiness, the state’s early childhood agency.
Susan chairs the Public Policy Committee for Philanthropy Southeast and is Vice Chair of the SC Grantmakers’ Network. She is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum (Charlotte Region) and a Fellow with the Diversity Leadership Initiative of The Riley Institute at Furman University. Susan serves on the Graduate School Advisory Board at Winthrop University and the Advisory Board of SC Educational Television.
Originally from Newtown, Connecticut, Susan holds degrees from Furman University and the University of Georgia. Susan and her husband, Mayor Alston DeVenny, have lived in Lancaster, SC since 1988, serving the community together with their four children: Miller, Sarah Katherine, Emma, and Mary. When not working on Foundation initiatives, Susan is usually walking on the Greenway or in her neighborhood.