Emporia’s Southwick House now has its leader, and it is a face that is very familiar with the agency and its mission.
Emporia Mayor Susan Brinkman has been chosen to lead the agency as its executive director bringing more than 30 years of experience to the role. While Brinkman is the inaugural executive director under the Southwick House banner, she is no stranger to the agency’s mission having previously served as the agency’s first non-consumer director in the 1990s when it was known as Plumb Place.
Brinkman says she has kept a close watch on the developments of Southwick in recent years and that she is grateful for the opportunity to once again lead the organization.
Brinkman says she is proud to be returning to the role calling it a “full circle” moment in her career. When asked her major immediate goals for the agency, Brinkman says she and the board will be focused on outlining the agency’s path forward for the next several years.
Brinkman has already assumed her duties as executive director. Brinkman holds various degrees all obtained from Emporia State University including bachelor’s degrees in psychology and art and a Masters in counseling.
Plumb Place officially closed its doors back in 2020 following several years of financial hardship which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
