After graduating from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Susan Takalo worked in social services for 46 years with a particular focus on hunger and underserved communities. Since 1984, she has served in a variety of capacities with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. After her retirement in June 2023, she will have more time to devote to her passion for community work. She has participated in a range of community-based committees such as the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Advisory Committee and Daly City ACCESS. She served as the founding co-chair of Thrive’s Emergency Preparedness Taskforce. She is an active member of the Pride Initiative, a project of the San Mateo County Office of Diversity and Equity; The Pride Center; and Coast Pride. She was recently appointed to the San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women.
