“Life Through Another Lens” features stories of NYJL members, in their own words, to shed light on how we experience the world and the NYJL through different lenses informed by our individual identities. In this edition, NYJL member Susan Munn offers insights into her favorite League memories, how she has seen the NYJL evolve over time, and more.

What prompted you to become a member of the New York Junior League and how long have you been a member?

I moved to New York City directly after graduating from Mount Holyoke College and a family friend who knew I had been an active volunteer in high school and college suggested that I consider joining the New York Junior League. It was the very best decision I made, back when the Provisional course was one year long(!) and since then, I have developed leadership skills, served others with compassion, and made the dearest lifelong friends. 

How do you identify yourself?

I describe myself as a wife, mother, daughter, and a head cheerleader for all. Nothing gives me greater happiness than supporting others and encouraging people to find and be the best version of themselves. It is one of the great joys I have being a people leader at work and mentoring young women at my firm and at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown. 

What is one of your favorite memories or anecdotes from your time at the League?

When I was Vice President of Membership, I brought my young daughter Caroline to our Annual Meeting and she stood by my side while I gave my year-end report. Thirteen years later, she joined the New York Junior League as a college age provisional and is currently a volunteer in the Junior League of Boston. 

Another favorite memory is that during my Board tenure, I introduced the Woman to Watch program which is still going strong to recognize leaders in the NYJL with fewer than five years of service! The opportunity to see the contributions that these women make so early in their NYJL service is still a testament to the impact we have in many much-needed areas of NYC and speaks to the character of women we are attracting to join us to serve these communities. 

Finally, another favorite memory happened when I was the chair of the Color-Goldwater committee, where we served paraplegic adults. My husband volunteered at our committee’s holiday party and stepped in as Santa Claus. It is still one of my favorite memories and thankfully twenty five years later, I still have the pictures!

How would you describe the culture of the League? 

The culture of the New York Junior League evolves as our members do, which makes it so meaningful to me. I have always worked full time and had to leave early from work to make the meetings (which always required a balance), and today it seems that the majority of our volunteers work. That has allowed us to be more nimble and flexible with timing, placements, and use of technology. I still really appreciate that flexibility and feel that it makes us more adaptable to the changing needs of volunteers – from provisionals to actives to sustainers.

What would you recommend one read/watch that reflects your experience as a League member and beyond? 

On any given night, I am always amazed when I am at the Astor House during a provisional training or VET training evening—the second floor is particularly buzzing with life! Externally, watching Team NYJL run the TCS New York City Marathon on behalf of our NYJL programs in the fall is another favorite. And in the spring, the Playground Improvement Project (PIP) committee is, of course, a testament to the partnership we have with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. I’ve been a member for such a long time that PIP has even re-beautified parks I was involved with in my twenties! 

Switching gears to a more serious and very important subject, as a member of the Board of Directors this year in my capacity as Nominating Chair, I am also on the Ethics and Compliance committee. One of the areas I would suggest volunteers be familiar with would be our code of conduct and the membership standing rules. As we evolve and drive our strategic plan forward, the foundation for our work is how we respect fellow volunteers and our staff at the Astor House. As we embark on a new volunteer year, I think it’s a good practice to refresh our knowledge of these policies so that we can be the best versions of ourselves with each other and our partners in the community.