Susan W. Kluttz
| Susan W. Kluttz | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | Linda Carlisle |
| Mayor of Salisbury, North Carolina | |
| In office 1997–2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Margaret Kluttz |
| Succeeded by | Paul Woodson |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | William |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Mt. Vernon Junior College; BA, UNC-Greensboro |
Susan Wear Kluttz is the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and a former longest serving mayor of Salisbury, North Carolina.
Early life and education
Kluttz is a graduate of Boyden High School (now Salisbury High School) and Mt. Vernon Junior College in Washington, D.C.. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.[1][2]
Career
She has worked in Rowan County at the Waterworks Visual Arts Center and YMCA.[2]
Prior to becoming mayor of Salisbury, Kluttz served as an executive assistant to the Superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury School System. Her father, John Wear, was a former mayor and encouraged her to run after the then-mayor, Margaret Kluttz (no direct relation), did not seek re-election in 1997. Susan Kluttz won the most votes in the election and served as the city's mayor until 2011, becoming the city's longest serving mayor.[3]
After Pat McCrory, a Republican was elected Governor of North Carolina in 2012, he named Kluttz, a Democrat, to be Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources. This position oversees the State Library of North Carolina, the North Carolina Museum of History, the North Carolina Symphony and other cultural and nature-related agencies.[4] She took office on January 5, 2013.[1]
Personal life
She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband William C. Kluttz, Jr., a District Court judge. They have two children.[1][2]
She is also an active member of the St. Luke's Episcopal Church and is a part of Western North Carolina Rail Coalition committee.[2]
Honors
She received a Citizen of the Year award in 2002 from the Salisbury Civitan club and a year later was awarded Woman of the Year award from the Lion's Club. In 2004 she received the Salisbury-Rowan Ministerial Association Community Spirit award and was awarded the Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Humanitarian Award the same year.[2]
Catawba College established a scholarship in her name for students studying environmental science in 2007.[2]
