Bringing a spirit of hope
Group vice president SUSAN TERCERO will launch an event full of love and joy
SUSAN Tercero has come a long
way. After joining Macy’s as a production assistant in 2004, Tercero was tasked with inputting roughly 5,000 volunteer applications for the annual Thanksgiving parade into the computer system.
Today, as group vice president of Macy’s parade and entertainment group, she oversees operational planning and logistics for the entire production, which draws 51 million viewers worldwide.
“There’s a big adrenaline rush right now,” says Tercero. “It takes a village to produce this event.”
Growing up in Angleton, Texas, Tercero watched the procession on the kitchen TV with her mom as she prepared breakfast.
“We’d watch for the things you wouldn’t normally see in smalltown America,” says Tercero. “The Broadway shows, talent, balloons and bands. My babysitter played with our hometown high school’s marching band in the Macy’s Parade. It was a big deal for our community. She returned with pictures and stories of the Big Apple. It was so cool.”
Both challenged and rewarded to outdo herself each year, Tercero says she’s looking forward to the new balloons, like Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen” and Illumination’s 2018 movie version of Dr. Seuss’ Grinch. They’ll join another 15 giant balloons and 27 Heritage balloons (see story, page 39.)
Macy’s singing Christmas tree float will have over 125 Macy’s employees who’ve auditioned to sing an original song (see story, page 36). “It’s amazing to have a company that really celebrates its employees this way,” she says.
This will join the other 25 floats, 12 marching bands and 1,000 clowns in entertaining the 3.5 million spectators along the route, plus star appearances from Gwen Stefani, Harry Connick Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Flo Rida, Goo Goo Dolls, Andy Grammer (see story, page 39) and more. Performances from the casts of “Anastasia”, “Dear Evan Hansen”, “Once On This Island” and “SpongeBob SquarePants — The Broadway Musical” round out the show.
But Tercero is most looking forward to the spectacle’s unifying and uplifting impact.
“It crosses generations and cultures,” says Tercero. “It’s one of those happy, beautiful moments when everyone comes together to celebrate an American tradition. We live in a time when it may feel there’s not a lot of hope. On Thanksgiving morning, people can put aside differences, and agree — there’s nothing better than seeing helium-filled balloons and Santa. It’s the spirit of hope for the holiday.”