What superpower would you love to have?
OH! to dream of having a Super Power! Though I would love to fly so I would never have to drive in traffic, I am from the Chicago area so I tend to be a little aggressive for Ohio drivers. However, if I really had a super power I would enjoy reading minds. I am a problem solver, and what better way to fix things than to understand the problems, misunderstandings and misconceptions of a given situation? I love authentic conversation — getting to it is a simple as being honest about yourself and your own feelings and usually that opens the door to the person you are engaging with. So, short of people just being upfront, I’d love to read their minds so I can get right to it. We can solve more issues if we are open and honest.
What do you love about life in Dayton?
So many things. I love the access we have to each other in Dayton. I can call an elected official and actually talk to the elected official. In a smaller city you can float an idea, reach the people you need to reach and make things happen. I also think Dayton is a beautiful city. My dad was a construction foreman on the high-rises in Chicago. He appreciated design and architecture, and I learned to take in the details of buildings. When you’re stuck in traffic on Main Street, take a look beyond the empty storefront windows and look at the buildings. They are lovely. We need to preserve and appreciate them.
What would you change about Dayton?
Image. My background is in public relations, so I would attack the image that Dayton is a dreary city with nothing going on. I’d light it up at night, follow the lead of UpDayton and activate more spaces with artists, musicians, specialty foods. We are a city of immigrants who bring a variety of special talents and flavors to town. We could have an International Boulevard that specializes in the arts, crafts and special foods, tastes and flavors courtesy of embracing our newest neighbors. It would be a magnet for visitors. I’d also like to have a Target downtown. Who doesn’t love Target?
What should people know about The Dayton League of Women Voters?
The League is not a bunch of stuffy old women. You do not have to be invited to join the League! I am so passionate about this organization and proud to be part of it. We have a deep and rich place in the progression of women in the United States. Our founders were the suffragists who fought for women to have equal rights — and that is not just the vote. It was the right to get an education, have a job, have a bank account, own property or a business. Along with Abigail Adams, who asked her husband to “remember the ladies in 1776, to Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to our Dayton women who were marched down Main Street and held rallies in Cooper Park fighting for the rights of women. It was a risky business back then for women to speak their minds — they were considered unruly, rude and dangerous! But our Dayton women were so positive, progressive and insightful they opened the doors of the Dayton League six months before the 19th amendment was signed — making our League one of the first in the nation.
The League has been front and center standing up for the rights of women and the voting rights of everyone since its inception in 1920. Every woman and every man who loves a woman should be a member of the League. Partisan politics is an issue that divides, in the League it brings our Democrat, Republican and Independent members together to have good discussion from all sides. When the League takes a stand on an issue, it is because all members have weighed in and we have come to a consensus of what our entire membership believes. For the community, we always work hard to feature speakers on both sides of an issue so the community has all the facts. Our office is the size of a closet, our computers are donated, yet we are proud of that because we are able to do some amazing things with very little. Anyone fed up with the way things are, anyone craving good conversation on issues of interest should take a look at the League of Women Voters.
What’s one word you think people would use to describe you?
When I was about 12, my Aunt Juanita said “you’re funny.” She wasn’t even smiling when she said it so it made me laugh. I am blessed with a healthy sense of the absurd — when I point out the absurdity of situations it makes people laugh so, I guess I’m funny.
What do you do for fun in Dayton?
Eat! Love the little Bourbon Chicken restaurant in the basement of Talbott Tower, love all the places in the Oregon District, for their charm and history as much as for their food.
Why did you decide to settle in Dayton?
I settled in Dayton twice. First, because my husband was transferred here and later after we were transferred to Minnesota I transferred myself back to Dayton rather than return to my Chicago roots. My family and friends back home could not understand it, but I loved the warmth, friendliness and climate of Dayton. It seemed like home, and it is close enough to Chicago to make frequent trips back to family and friends easily.
How far have “we” actually come, baby?
Women have come a long way, but we have so far to go. Equal pay, better healthcare, maternity leave, affordable day care, respect in the workplace — men can make coffee, order lunch and take notes. Don’t get me wrong, I love men. But I love being a woman. I love the way women relate to each other; our gal pals are important to us. Women are multi-taskers and problem solvers, and we never give ourselves enough credit. No matter how much we accomplish, we still don’t have enough confidence in ourselves. How much do we weigh? We hate our hair, our forehead, our arms! We are our own worst enemy. We need to embrace our history. We didn’t get anything in this country without fighting for it - women in America have only had equal rights for 95 years. But we need to remember we got equal rights by convincing men to vote for women to have equal rights. That’s a lot of power. We need to recognize that power and embrace it.
How did you push through the challenge?
Guess it is that sense of the absurd I spoke about. I also believe life is good, most people are good. Things you believe in are worth fighting for you don’t have to always win big, small victories matter. I try to make my world of family and friends and League members a nice place to be or at least a better place to be. I think that spreads out into the lives of my family and friends and the people they touch.
What do you think Dayton will look like in 10-15 years?
I believe the new housing in Dayton breathes life in to the city. More people on the streets will bring more stores, restaurants, vibrancy. I believe those little activated spaces will grow and Dayton will become a boutique city that will be appealing to residents and visitors.
What do you think Dayton will look like in 10-15 years?
I believe the new housing in Dayton breathes life into the city. More people on the streets will bring more stores, restaurants, vibrancy. I believe those little activated spaces will grow and Dayton will become a boutique city that will be appealing to residents and visitors.
Susan Hesselgesser is from a place called Justice… literally.
The executive director of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of the Greater Dayton Area hails from Justice, Ill., but don't get too excited.
Susan has far more interesting things to be excited about.
The League, for one thing, celebrated its 95th anniversary yesterday during Dangerous Dames of Dayton. The evening featured Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Connie Schultz and Deb Anderson, the daughter of WWII code breaker Joe Desch.
Times have changed, but Susan says the League still has an important mission.
“There’s a real need for people to have information. It (the league) has become a respected resource for voters,” she says. “We are still vital.”
Susan moved to the Dayton area in 1991 after her former husband got a job here.
A League member contacted her after reading a letter to the editor she had written for the newspaper and receiving information from Hesselgesser about a political campaign.
Now in her position eight years, she’s adopted the habit of scanning the letters to the editor for potential members.
Susan is quick to point out that there is no need to be invited to join the League, and men are welcomed into its ranks.
The League aims to “encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.”
The organization has a piece of Susan’s heart.
“I love its history,” she said. “I love women’s history.”
We caught up with Susan, this week's Daytonian of the Week.
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