The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) are honoring Susan Sweeney-Crum as the 2015 Irish Person of the Year. Sweeney-Crum, a noted local broadcaster and community activist, will serve as the AOH St. Patrick’s Parade grand marshal on March 14.
“Most of us certainly recognize Susan’s name and voice but few really know all that she does,” Mark Wakefield, AOH president, said. “She champions many causes in the community — prevention of child abuse, needs of the handicapped, raising funds and serving on many nonprofit boards. She is currently president of the board of COPES, Council on Prevention and Education: Substances.”
Susan Sweeney Crum is currently the Afternoon News Host during All Things Considered on WFPL Radio in Louisville, the local NPR affiliate. She returned to her roots in radio news in 2006, after 15 years at WDRB TV. She has been fortunate to work her entire news career in her hometown, starting after college as an intern at WHAS Radio in 1985 and moving to a full time position for a few years before working one year at WHAS TV. The opportunity to be in on the beginning of a brand new news operation drew her to WDRB in 1990.
Susan is a Western Kentucky University graduate and is as loyal to the Hill Toppers as she is the University of Louisville Cardinals. She is married to retired U of L Basketball Coach Denny Crum. They currently share their home with 3 dogs, but have been “parents” to as many as five and will be adopting a new puppy in the spring.
Susan has been involved in many causes and boards in the community over the past 25 years, from the Council to Prevent Child Abuse in Frankfort to the Denny Crum Scholarship Foundation.
Currently, Susan is President of the Board of COPES, Council on Prevention and Education: Substances. This board has a long, rich local history of substance abuse prevention and education, with many award winning curricula used all over the country.
Susan has also served on the Mattingly Center (the former Cerebral Palsy School of Louisville) Board for the last 10 years. It is a growing center for adults with severe disabilities that continues to evolve today to meet individual needs for the same program participants.
Susan also is on the Board of the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery. The institute is a nonprofit education and research organization dedicated to excellence in education and research in hand and microsurgery. Fellows from all over the world study and learn at the Institute and then take that training back to their home countries.
Finally, Susan was a founding member of and continues to serve on the Spalding University Athletics Advisory Board, supporting the growing athletics programs at the University.
In the last year, Susan has completed her 2 terms on the Board with Hand in Hand Ministries and 2-plus terms the Advisory Board for the Arthritis Foundation of Kentucky. Additionally, she is involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Louisville and its major, annual fundraiser and works similarly with the Denny Crum Scholarship Foundation.
When not working on a project for one of these groups, Susan enjoys gardening and landscape projects around their 70 acre farm (there is always something to do or a new bed to create!) and the occasional fishing trip to Idaho and Alaska, and of course spending time with friends and family.
Susan loves her hometown and her community and friends, and wants to do whatever she can to make it a great place for everyone to live and work in.
