Community Corner
Meet Susan Cabrera: Capitola's Jacqueline of All Trades
Cabrera is a businesswoman, volunteer, poet and much more.
An author, lecturer, business consultant and poet, Susan Cabrera is Capitola's renaissance woman. She moved to town in 1992 after accepting a job as deputy director of personnel services for Santa Cruz County and was thrilled to do so.
“The quaint buildings made me feel like I’d stumbled onto the set of a movie production," she said, recalling an earlier visit to Capitola. "Never did I dream I’d actually be living here.”
Born and raised in Palo Alto, Cabrera received a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Stanford University. Her professional life has included working with a variety of individuals from heroin addicts to elected officials.
Find out what's happening in Capitola-Soquelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Applying her executive management skills, she established her own consulting business in 1996 with clientele from county governments all over the Bay Area.
She is also dedicated to volunteerism and serves as board president of the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, president at St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Joseph’s Church and Advisory Committee member for the county Adult Literacy Program.
Find out what's happening in Capitola-Soquelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The third annual Trivia Challenge, an event she created to raise money for the Volunteer Center Literacy Program, takes place Friday from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, with emcee Dale Julin of KSBW presiding over the festivities. Participants will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and dessert, a beer and wine bar, live jazz, raffle prizes and the trivia contest.
Her skills don't stop at business and volunteering. In fact, Cabrera once won a grand prize in the Central Coast Cooking Contest for her enchilada recipe, which she developed in memory of her mother. She has also written two poetry books, The Morning Star and Life in the Fast Lane, both available at .
Adding to her already impressive list of activities, Cabrera conducts lectures and seminars on psychological and spiritual topics, such as forgiveness and maintaining balance in life.
"It's a pleasure and blessing to know her," said Jane Parks-McKay, a friend of Cabrera. "She turns lemons into lemonade."
For more on Cabrera, visit her website.
