Anderson for Council

I'm Susan Gayle Anderson, and I’m running for re-election to Blacksburg Town Council on a community values platform.

I was born and bred in Virginia, oldest of four daughters of excellent parents. Having graduated summa cum laude from Mary Washington College in 1980 with undergraduate degrees in mathematics and classical civilization, I began graduate work in mathematics at Virginia Tech in the fall quarter of 1980. I finished my masters in 1982 and have been teaching mathematics at Virginia Tech since then. I am currently a Senior Instructor. I married a wonderful professor of philosophy and fellow activist, Kim Kipling, on 7/7 at 7, 1990. (We wanted a "prime" date that was always easy to remember.)

We own a home in one of Blacksburg’s most historic neighborhoods--on Preston Avenue--just a few blocks from the Old Blacksburg Middle School, the town library, and the downtown business district.

During my many years in Blacksburg I have been energetically engaged in a rich variety of grassroots and civic activism. I have learned, experienced, and gown much since my election to Town Council in 2006. Through volunteering with numerous organizations in the community and on boards of directors and in local, regional and statewide organizations, contributing eight years to the Virginia Tech faculty senate, and advising student groups for nearly two decades at Virginia Tech, I have developed a deep understanding of many of the concerns of community members, faculty, staff, and students.

I believe it is crucial that town council has diverse representation--in gender, age, interests, expertise, experience, and so forth. I was only the second woman vice mayor in the history of Blacksburg, and currently am only one of two women on a seven-member council.

Blacksburg Leadership Positions

Blacksburg Town Council member since 2006
Blacksburg Vice Mayor, 2006-2008
Blacksburg Housing and Community Development Advisory Board
Blacksburg Partnership Board of Directors
Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg member
Downtown Revitalization Committee chair
Friends of the Farmers Market member
New River Valley Agency on Aging vice chair
South Blacksburg Transportation Planning Task Force member

Other Civic and Professional Service

Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley, Board of Directors and past president
Montgomery County NOW assistant coordinator
Memberships: AARP, American Association of University Women, Friends of Planned Parenthood Health Systems, League of Women Voters, NAACP
New River Free Press co-coordinator and treasurer, 1984-2007
Amnesty International faculty advisor
Womanspace faculty advisor
Women’s Month Advisory Committee member
Graduate student mentor in mathematics
Chair of annual "Women in Mathematics: Career Day at Virginia Tech" for 250 sixth graders
Virginia Tech Faculty Senate, 1997-2004 and 2005-2006
Faculty Senate of Virginia, 2002-2007

"Leave the wood pile higher."
-- family motto

Steppin' Out

Coffee with the Candidates

Candidates Reception

Blacksburg Town Council Candidate Forum

VT Graduate Student Town Council Forum

Coffee with the Candidates Town Council Forum

AARP Forum: Candidates for Town Council

Town Council Social

Blacksburg Town Council Candidate Forum, Part II

Please Vote!