such, she is the recipient of the Leadership Award, presented to a woman who represents outstanding achievement in their field of endeavor.

Twin Cities transplant

Ross grew up in Minneapolis, the eldest of three girls. Her parents both worked as teachers. “I had a very idyllic, beautiful childhood,” Ross said.

She moved to Duluth in the 1980s to attend the University of Minnesota Duluth. It was here that she met her husband, Jamey Ross. The Rosses eventually moved to South Dakota so Jamey could attend law school. Suzanne earned her undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of South Dakota.

Post-college, the couple moved back to Duluth, and Jamey got a job as the Carlton County attorney, where he remained until his retirement. Suzanne got a job in the admissions department at UMD, where she remained for the next few years.

A special mentor

PHOTO BY DAVID BALLARD PHOTOGRAPHY

24 June | July 19

While still a young woman, Lundstrom became ill with leukemia. Before she died, Lundstrom told her supervisor that Ross should be selected to succeed her, due to Ross’ hard work and dedication. Leadership agreed, and Ross was promoted. It was just one of several upward leaps within the company.

To this day, Ross remains close with Lundstrom’s widower and two children. She’ll always be grateful for Lundstrom’s close friendship and career guidance. “She was an amazing individual,” Ross said.

Leadership in action

Over the years, Ross has held a variety of roles in human resources for Maurices and Ascena. In her current role, Ross oversees the areas of talent acquisition and talent strategy.

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Ross shared that Ascena is a company devoted to the support and promotion of women; 97% of the company’s employees are women, and 65% of their VPs are women. The board of directors is split 50-50 between men and women, and there is a female lead director.

As Lundstrom did with Ross, Ross has helped numerous employees, particularly women, advance their careers along the way. “There are many mentor programs at Ascena, and I’ve been really blessed to work with some amazing people,” Ross said. “I’ve been able to learn from them, and they’ve learned from me. That’s been a gift.”