Susan Ramos-Sossaman has more than 20 years of administrative experience in higher education and housing where she has implemented innovative programs that required complex coordination with internal and external stakeholders. As the Community Development Initiatives Director, she is responsible for developing, directing, formulating, and administrating the day-to-day activities of the CDI Department and the support services for Opportunity Home families. She works actively to collaborate with partner agencies to provide support services to families and administer and monitor grants.
Susan also serves as Interim Director for Development Services and Neighborhood Revitalization, where she is responsible for maintaining and facilitating partnerships with affordable housing developers, coordination with other Opportunity Home San Antonio departments, and preparing/controlling the Development Services operating budget. She works actively to establish agreements with governmental, nonprofit and private entities and coordinates and participates in planning meetings designed to identify and meet the need for affordable and public housing.
Prior to joining the organization, Susan served as a director for student support programs in a higher education setting where she was responsible for writing and implementing grants. She served as the principal investigator and fiscal manager for TRIO Programs and cultivated productive relationships with the U.S. Department of Education staff; university staff, faculty and administrators; and key faculty and staff from universities across the country. She is experienced with building systems in support of the development of staff, maintaining stakeholder engagement, tracking progress and evaluating outcomes. She has a proven record as a skilled grant writer who has secured grants from the U.S Department of Education, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and private agencies and foundations.
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Masters of Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University. She has completed grant writing training, project management training, and is a graduate from the Alex Briseno Leadership Development Program.