Colorado Proud: Honoring Susanne E. Jalbert, Ph.D., global activist
At RTD, we celebrate powerful women who are making an impact in Colorado and across the globe.
Looking out over the serene mountains located around Winter Park, Dr. Susanne Jalbert enjoys the winter by taking full advantage of skiing and snowshoeing from sunup to sundown. When she is not on assignment overseas, she finds herself back in the crown jewel of Colorado, enjoying all that nature has to offer.
Jalbert is a gender equity advocate, an economic development activist and a women’s rights political strategist. Before her move to Colorado, she lived in California and received a bachelor’s degree in management from St. Mary’s College. Jalbert went on to create multiple businesses, ranging from tax accounting and consulting to fine art and craft galleries. She questioned whether she was “building minds” with her international consulting practice and looked at continuing her education even after establishing an extremely successful and varied career.
“Colorado State was absolutely fabulous and extremely supportive,” she said. While at CSU, Jalbert received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in education and human resources; completed a thesis on Russian women entrepreneurs; and created her own multidisciplinary study. “I believe education and work go hand in hand,” she said, adding that she ran her consulting company while in school, eventually leading to a full focus on work in internationalism.
To date, Jalbert has assisted on more than 90 assignments in 50 countries across four continents, and she holds over 25 years of experience fighting for gender equity, economic development and women’s rights. She currently serves as a director in the Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan region for Chemonics, an international development consulting firm. Her work helps to create professional development opportunities for women interested in working with government institutions at both the national and sub-national levels. Previously, Jalbert served as chief of party on the USAID Promote: Women in Government (WIG) project.
It’s easy to see where Jalbert’s passion for helping women carve their own paths comes from. Her aim to create a better world across the globe is clear to all who not only read about her many accomplishments, but can also see the impact and change she is making in the world.
After Jalbert’s next international assignment, she’ll be back in her home base of Winter Park, enjoying the warm Colorado sunshine, mushroom foraging with her family and hiking all of her favorite trails.