Suzanne Conlon grew up in the Northern Catskill Mountains of Greene County in New York. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Pennsylvania State University in 2001. While working as a wildlife biologist, Suzanne worked with seabirds and marine mammals in California, Oregon, and Alaska before moving to Maui over 16 years ago.

During her tenure on Maui, Suzanne has had the opportunity to work within the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument and the Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, both distinctly unique and special places of Hawaii, its culture, and natural history.

Suzanne has been an avid and competitive outrigger canoe paddler for over ten years and has volunteered as a board member, race manager, and club representative.

Her experiences helping to conserve Hawaii’s endangered species and their critical habitats and integrating the solid and uplifting cultural foundations of outrigger canoe paddling have afforded her a holistic perspective of the sense of community in Maui. This perspective has led her to shift focus from her career in Wildlife Biology to assisting her community following the tragic and devastating wildfires in Lahaina and Kula.

Why did you join the HECO Lawsuit team?

‍I joined the HECO Lawsuit team because I have the utmost respect for Jan Apo and his partners, want to be part of a team that holds empathy as a core value, and above all, I want to help those affected by the fires rebuild and return home.