Page 9 - Susan Taylor

Susan

Taylor

"A Debt of Gratitude"

By Judith A. Habert

San Diego Woman

She has a smile that lights up the room and an attitude that says a reporter and given her own weekly public affairs show. Susan
anything is possible. Susan Taylor spent more than 30 years in stayed in Edmonton until her visa ran out and then headed back 9
front of the camera as a News Anchor. After graduating from Bos- to the United States to take on broadcast journalism in her own
ton University with a degree in Broadcasting and Film, Susan lost country. From Edmonton she went on to work in Hartford, Dallas,
no time going out in the field and making a name for herself. While San Diego, Miami, Los Angeles, and back to San Diego. During
still a senior, she got an internship at the ABC TV station in Boston. this 30 year career of moving from state to state as a well-respect-
She attended school three days a week and then spent the rest of ed, Emmy award winning anchor and journalist, Susan covered
her time working at the TV station as an associate producer, writer major news stories. She's been shot at. She's been in 3 riots, one
and location scout. in Miami, the second in Israel, the third in Los Angeles. During her
Upon graduation, Susan decided she really wanted to be "on- career, she covered the O.J. Simpson trial, the downfall of
camera". That road took a slight detour after a Spring Break ski trip Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, the Pope's trip to Miami, the
to the Canadian Rockies, where she learned that the Common- Northridge earthquake and the 2003 and 2007 San Diego wild-
wealth Games were being held that summer in Edmonton, Alberta. fires and of course 911. She also returned with troops from Iraq
"I'd always wanted to work on the Olympics," said Susan. "The on board the final voyage of the aircraft carrier USS Constellation
Commonwealth Games are similar to the Olympics with 54 nations before it was decommissioned.
of the British Commonwealth competing. Somehow I talked my In 1996 Susan met her husband. They got married in 1998 and a
way into an interview and told the folks at the CBC, the Canadian year later added to their family with the birth of their son.
Broadcasting Corporation, that I'd worked at the ABC TV station For those of us who watch the nightly news and ponder how
in Boston. Two hours later, I walked out, co-producing the stadium exciting this lifestyle appears, we don't really take into account the
events for the Opening and Closing ceremonies. More than 5,000 all-encompassing lifestyle involved. The more success you enjoy
volunteers put on the Commonwealth Games and I was hired to as a news anchor, the more hectic your schedule becomes. With a
be the liaison between the volunteers and the CBC which was pro- husband and young son at home, Susan was constantly on the go.
ducing the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. I spent the summer She would anchor the 4, 4:30, 5, 6 and 11 o'clock news. Taking
dealing with Buckingham Palace and British protocol. It was very care of her family in the morning, then driving to the studio, then
exciting and great fun!" home for a quick dinner and tucking their son into bed, and then
back to the studio for the 11 o'clock news. She drove more than
A pretty impressive job for a young girl fresh out of college, but like 100 miles a day keeping this schedule, and that was only if there
everything Susan does, she put her heart and soul into it. After the was no extraordinary news event that brought her in to work earlier
Games ended, she marched into a local TV station in Edmonton. or kept her there later.
With this successful event as part of her resume, she was hired as