Former U.S. Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook will receive a Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa, from Champlain College and serve as the commencement speaker to Champlain College on-campus undergraduate students.
Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, also known as “Ambassador Sujay,” made history as the first female and first African American to serve as U.S. Ambassador (At Large) for International Religious Freedom, a position appointed by former President Barack Obama.
Beyond her diplomatic work as an Ambassador, Johnson Cook served as a policy advisor to former President Bill Clinton and to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Her academic career includes serving as Associate Dean and faculty member at Harvard Divinity School and professor of theology at New York Theological Seminary. Johnson Cook made history as the first woman to serve as Chaplain to the New York City Police Department, where she spent 21 years and provided crucial support during the 9/11 tragedy.
A third-generation female business owner, Johnson Cook is the founder of the Global Black Women’s Chamber of Commerce, the first worldwide Chamber dedicated to supporting Black women entrepreneurs. In addition to her public service and academic achievements, Johnson Cook has authored 17 books. She has also served as a commentator and expert on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, BBC, and ABC.
She is a graduate of Emerson College (’76, BA), Columbia University Teachers College (’78, MA), Union Theological Seminary (’83, MDiv), and United Theological Seminary (1990, Ph.D. Ministry). She has also completed a Tuck School of Business program through Dartmouth College and the Executive Business Program at Howard University’s School of Business.
Her alma mater, Union Theological Seminary, awarded her with the UNITAS and Trailblazing awards, as well as the Activist Scholar Fellowship.
You can watch a livestream of Ambassador Sujay’s speech and the ceremony at commencement.champlain.edu. The full recording of her speech will be added here in the weeks following May 10.