Maiden Name: Suzanne Schwartz
Birth Date: 08/28/1936
Birth Place: Illinois
Date of Death: 11/23/2023
Place of Death: Las Vegas, Nevada
A Tireless Champion
By Laurie Samsel Olson
Described by those who knew her as a strong leader and valuable mentor, Suzanne Ernst passed away on Thanksgiving Day 2023, leaving behind an inspiring legacy.
Suzanne was born in Illinois to Leslie and Bernice Schwartz on August 28, 1936. When she was still a small child, the family moved to Henderson, Nevada, where her father worked for the Bureau of Reclamation. A go-getter from an early age, she was a copy editor on the yearbook staff at Basic High School before graduating in 1954.
While attending the University of Nevada Reno (UNR), Suzanne was known for her achievements in both scholarly and creative pursuits. She was a member of the sorority Gamma Phi Beta, the Campus Players theater group, and the National Honor Society. She graduated in June of 1958 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, a GPA of 3.80, and a place in the prestigious Who’s Who in American Colleges. After graduation, she continued to support college life through her involvement in the Gamma Phi Beta Alumnae Chapter and the Reno City Chapter of the National Panhellenic Conference.
An important takeaway from her time at UNR was her marriage to accounting student and fourth-generation Nevadan William (Bobby) Ernst. The couple married August 25, 1957, and eventually settled in Las Vegas. There Suzanne earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and raised five children – Mark, Paul, Dawn Davis, Lori Furtmann, and Erin. Sadly, Erin died in 1982 at the age of 17 in a Pan American airplane crash after a summer trip with friends. Suzanne and Bobby divorced in 1993 but remained supportive of one another until his death in 2011.
It was Suzanne’s career in public service that most defined her life and created her legacy. In 1988, when she was appointed administrator of the Nevada Aging Services Division (ASD), she had already logged 14 years with the State, 10 of those at ASD. Among other things, she had served as the Division’s deputy administrator and hosted a popular public television show in Las Vegas called Action Seniors. When Governor Bob Miller appointed her to succeed Myla Florence as head of the Division, she was so enthusiastic about the future that the Reno Gazette Journal ran an opinion piece saying, in part, that it was unusual to see “an appointed public official so excited by a promotion that he or she is fairly bursting with new ideas and innovations.”
Suzanne’s first passion in her new position was to expand the Division’s work in elder abuse. Two ombudsmen, one in the north and one in the south, were overwhelmed with mediating consumer complaints at nursing homes and adult care homes. Suzanne proposed hiring an attorney as a statewide elder rights chief who would supervise and support the two ombudsmen while also handling the thorny legal matters that often arose in abuse cases. In October 1989, less than a year after Suzanne’s promotion to administrator, her vision was realized when Governor Miller appointed the state’s first chief of elder rights.
This accomplishment was only one of many while Suzanne led the Division. During her tenure, the senior population was growing by leaps and bounds in Nevada. Federal and state funds were vital to support senior centers, hot meal programs, and in-home care services. She never hesitated to be an advocate not only for these programs but also for state and national issues that affected the population. In 1982, she testified before a Congressional subcommittee that traveled to Las Vegas to gather information on the effects of crime on the elderly. At the hearing, she concluded her comments memorably. “Old age may be inevitable,” she said, “but the stress and the fear often connected with it are not.” In 1990, she spoke ardently on behalf of seniors at a Nevada Medical Association conference that focused largely on the ethics of health care rationing. “It scares the elderly when you start using the word ‘ration’ and the word ‘age’,” Suzanne said. “They feel diminished. If you erase the word ‘age’ and put in the word ‘handicapped’ or ‘AIDS,’ this policy wouldn’t be acceptable.”
In 1996, after 12 years as administrator of ASD, Suzanne made a career change. Richard Jarvis, chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada, tapped her to fill the newly-created position of deputy to the chancellor for external relations. In this post, Suzanne managed media relations and called upon her experience as a public administrator to advise Jarvis in his work with the Legislature, government agencies, and corporate entities. In 1999, she also took on the role of secretary to the Board of Regents. She served in those capacities until 2005 when then Chancellor Jim Rogers recruited her to be his closest advisor. Rogers said at the time that Suzanne was more knowledgeable about the university system than anyone else, and he didn’t think he could make effective changes without her. “She is the link to the history of the system,” he said.
Rogers’ comment upon Suzanne’s final job change seems to capture the mark she left on the State of Nevada. Many of the systems and programs still in place at what is now the Nevada Division of Aging and Disability Services have her fingerprints on them, as do policies and procedures in the university system. You can’t research the history of either of these institutions without her name coming up in the results. She is the link, and the treasured memories of her colleagues reinforces her influence.
Carla Sloan, Nevada State Director of AARP (1999-2015): “Suzanne was a strong leader with a unique ability to see potential in others. She offered advice and support to many young professionals in the aging service network. I am personally forever grateful for her mentorship. Suzanne was also a ferocious advocate for older people. She was a tireless champion for rural Nevada elders. She valued and promoted the role of senior centers as the focal point for community service delivery. She delighted in visiting aging service providers throughout the state to understand the unique needs of each community.”
Richard Bryan, U.S. Senator (D-NV, 1989-2000): “I first met Suzanne at the University of Nevada Reno. We were both from southern Nevada, and we became friends. When I ran for governor in 1982, Suzanne advised me on senior issues, one of my signature campaign pieces. Suzanne was very smart, had a good sense of humor, and helped revolutionize the way Nevada cares for its seniors. She created a marvelous legacy for seniors in Nevada.”
Steve Sisolak, Nevada Governor (D, 2019-2023): “In my tenure on the NSHE Board of Regents , Suzanne focused on students. Their issues, concerns and ambitions. She took the time to listen and to genuinely care. Suzanne was always an advocate for those who had no one else to advocate for them.”
Mary Liveratti, Deputy Director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (2003-2013): “When Suzanne was teaching, she always made sure to mention something positive about every student when she met their parents. That ability of seeing the potential in each person enabled her to become a mentor to so many throughout her life.”
Written by Laurie Samsel Olson — Posted 10/07/2024
