Susan Donovan was born and raised in Bristol RI, the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Nunes) Remieres. She attended Bristol Public Schools and graduated in 1971. She went on to attend RI College, where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration in 2007. In the early 1990’s Donovan joined other members of the community to study the prospect of regionalizing the school district to include Bristol and Warren. The enabling legislation was ultimately voted on and approved by the voters in both towns. In 2010, after 33 years with Bristol Warren School Department, Susan retired. She has worked as an education consultant at the Brown University School of Public Health /Institute of Community Health Promotion.
Susan’s dedication and community involvement spans several decades. Beginning in 1988 Susan served on the boards of both Linden Place and the Bristol Art Museum. It was during her time there that she worked to establish the ‘Linden Place Cultural Camp for Children.’ She also served as the Chair of Education with the Bristol Art Museum. Along with several colleagues she formed and coached the first Bristol Warren Special Olympics Team.
In 2004 Susan joined the Board of Save Bristol Harbor and subsequently the committee that successfully led the fight to defeat the transport of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) through Narragansett and Mt. Hope Bay. You can find Susan testing the water quality in Bristol Harbor bi-monthly in the early morning and annually helping educate local students on the importance of watersheds and the problems ocean and shoreline debris present to our environment. Susan is a founding member of the East Bay Chapter of Habitat for Humanity which has recently merged with Greater Providence HFH. She was the Chair from 2010-2022. They built four homes and rehabbed one – helping five families enjoy the benefit of a safe and affordable place to call home.
In both 1995 and 2004 Susan was recognized as Rhode Island Physical Education Teacher of the Year. In 2007 she was the recipient of the Governor’s Award for Wellness Innovation in the School Category and in 2008 was the Bristol Warren Regional School District’s Teacher of the Year. In September of 2015 Susan was the ABC 6 Hometown Hero.
In acknowledgement of her contributions to the town of Bristol, Susan was named the recipient of the ‘Hattie Brown Community Service Award’ in 2015 by the Bristol Fourth of July Committee. This award is given annually to a Bristol resident who shows the same spirit of charity and community service Hattie Brown, the awards namesake, was known for.
Susan served as the recording secretary of the Bristol Democratic Town Committee and is a member of the Bristol Rotary Club. In addition to her other activities she also serves in the choir and was a Vestry member of St Michael’s Church in Bristol.
When not reading, puttering in her gardens or walking her dog, Susan enjoys boating and kayaking with her family and friends.
She lives in Bristol with her husband, Glenn. They have three adult children: Glenn T Donovan (wife Erin and 3 children attending Bristol Warren Schools) Colleen Donovan and Cara Mitchell (husband Jonathan and son) all residing in Bristol.
