Our Team

Visit Blog

Susan Attwell brings more than 30 years of professional experience and community leadership to Accordant. Her positive and relational leadership style, developed during her earlier career in marketing, advertising and sales, set her up for success in philanthropic development. Built on a common-sense approach to problem solving, Susan leads strategic plans to create and implement growth solutions for front line fundraising initiatives, donor cultivation, board relations and clinician engagement in philanthropy. She has a passion for leveraging her experience to help develop progressive road maps for organizational mission achievement and growth. She specializes in relationship management skills to build productive and engaged teams, further enhancing these practices through the pandemic where she excelled in creating structure, predictability and connectedness, bringing people together while working remotely.

Before joining Accordant, Susan spent eight years leading development operating activities that supported Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit health care system in Texas. As the Vice President of Development, she managed philanthropic efforts to support a variety of initiatives in patient-centered programs, innovative research, medical education, capital and advanced technology. During her tenure, the team successfully completed three capital campaigns, exceeding yearly fiscal goals through best practices of properly stewarding all gifts and ensuring a coordinated and collaborative approach for gift solicitation and prospect research. She also oversaw strategy for major/transformational gifts, annual giving, corporate and institutional giving and planned giving programs, as well as related event, marketing and donor communication projects.

Susan is a member of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) and a graduate of AHP’s Madison Institute. She is a dedicated community volunteer and leader. She is past president and 25-year member of the Junior League of Dallas, where she currently serves as a trustee driven by her desire to see other women succeed and improve our communities. Susan is also a graduate of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dallas program and the Inner Circle – How She Leads program. She is a graduate of the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Journalism.