Lake Erie College board member pledges $1M

An alumnus and board member at Lake Erie College has made a pledge of support totaling $1 million.

Suzanne Schoedinger Ellis earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education in 1959 and obtained her masters of education degree in 1987, both from Lake Erie College, according to a news release.

“I was a transfer student to Lake Erie College, but a group of classmates took me in and made me feel welcome,” Ellis said in the release. “LEC has been a big part of my life ever since.”

Ellis devoted much of her life to education, serving as both a teacher as well as a college professor dedicated to preparing the educators of tomorrow, the college stated.

The $1 million pledge is earmarked for the college’s general endowment fund. LEC President Brian D. Posler noted the pledge is impactful.

“Sue has been a dedicated leader on the Board of Directors since 2017,” he said in the release. “It is my hope that her thoughtful and generous pledge will inspire other Board members and all LEC alumni.”

Ellis held leadership roles in many organizations throughout her career including coordinator of the Gifted Program for Lake County Educational Service Center, faculty member at Phillips-Osborne School and director of Christian Education for First Church Congregational.

Much of her free time is spent serving on many civic and professional organizations, according to the release. Ellis is past-president of the local chapter of the Association for the Education of the Young Child and past-president of Northeast Ohio’s chapter of Phi Delta Kappa.