Commissioner Susan Bottcher
Term 1 - 2011-2014
E-mail: bottchersw@cityofgainesville.org
Susan grew up in Ft. Lauderdale and came to Gainesville in 1975. She graduated from the University of Florida (BA '79) and has additional graduate level coursework through UF's College of Recreation, Parks and Tourism (Tourism Development). She is a graduate of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Gainesville program (LG XXV) as well as the City of Gainesville's Citizens' Academy (Nov. 2010).
Susan was elected as the District 3 Commissioner for the City of Gainesville on April 12, 2011 and currently serves on the Community Development Committee, Equal Opportunity Committee, and the Regional Utilities Committee. Susan has also been appointed to serve on the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council and the UF-Community Steering Committee on Responsible Alcohol Use.
Prior to running for elected office, Susan worked for approximately ten years in the property & casualty insurance field as a claims adjuster, personal lines and commercial lines underwriter. She holds an Associate in Underwriting (AU, '86) from the Insurance Institute of America.
For more than 20 years Susan served the community volunteering for various non-profit and charitable organizations. Among these are included 10 years (1993-2003) on Littlewood Elem. School's PTA, the Literacy Network (1995-2000), The Children’s Museum of the South, Inc. (formerly EXPO, The Children’s Museum of Gainesville, Inc.),1996-2006.
Susan also volunteered for a number of community initiatives and boards including "Visions 2000" Alachua County Visioning Process ('96-'97), East Gainesville Development Task Force (‘97-‘98), the Strategic Planning, Action Team 3, School Board of Alachua County, ('99-'00), and the Alachua County Child Care Center Board ('90).