Dr. Susan Thering (Sue) is the Founder and Executive Director of Design Coalition Institute, a 509(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Madison WI. The Mission of Design Coalition Institute is to contribute technical expertise and practical assistance to the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of programs, projects, and policies that promote Sustainable Futures, Affordable "Green" Housing, and Environmental Justice. She has received federal grants from DOI, HUD, DOA, USDA, and NEA, and foundation grants from the Enterprise Foundation, the Baldwin Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, and the New Harvest Foundation. She holds professional degrees in architecture (BPS Arch, SUNY-Buffalo), and Landscape Architecture (MLA Cornel) and an advanced degree in Environmental Science (Ph.D. SUNY-ESF). Sue was born in Buffalo New York, one of eleven children. She has three grown children and two grandchildren.