Susan Steves Thompson is the Executive Director of AVANCE – San Antonio, a nonprofit organization providing early childhood education to 1,500 underserved children living in the South and West sides of San Antonio and throughout rural areas surrounding Uvalde, as well as wrap-around services for their parents, including a rigorous parenting curriculum, medical and healthcare services, job training, GED and ESL resources, financial literacy classes and more. Susan has over 30 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit economic development, social services and healthcare sectors. She most recently served as Vice President – Grants, Programs and Services at the San Antonio Area Foundation. There she oversaw the design and implementation of the process to distribute over $20 million in grants and scholarships annually with integrity and intentionality. Susan has proven success in strategic planning in the nonprofit sector, as well as the ability to build and inspire organizational teams to do their best work.

Susan is or has been actively involved with a wide range of professional and nonprofit organizations, including the Masters Leadership Program, the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boy Scouts of America, Special Olympics Texas, M.D Anderson Cancer Center – Children’s Art Project, the Greater Houston Partnership, and the Episcopal Dioceses of both Texas and West Texas.

A native San Antonian, Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Business Administration from Rice University.