Suzanne was born and raised in Delano, going to Albany Park, Del Vista and graduating 8th grade from Fremont School. Suzanne completed her education at CSU Bakersfield after attending UCLA and Bakersfield College. As a registered nurse, she has worked as a school nurse for over 25 years for the McFarland schools, receiving her credential from CSU Fresno.
Suzanne initiated the Delano's Junior Miss (now Distinguished Young Women of Delano) program in 1995. She has volunteered for many organizations in the community and finds volunteering with the schools to be her most rewarding activity. Girl Scouts and the Junior League of Bakersfield are the two organizations she credits with defining volunteerism and organizational leadership for her. She has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Delano since 2001, serving as President for four terms. She helped the Delano High School Renovation Project which initiated and selected the colors for the volunteer painting of the school campus during the mid-1990s.