Alpha Delta Pi - University of Kansas

TAU TALES Winter 2019 kualphadeltapi.com We Live for Each Other Susan Toussaint's Connection to Tau Remains Strong 33 Years after Graduation Susan Toussaint '86, an accounting major, joined Tau in 1986, where she served in numerous positions including pledge class treasurer, chapter treasurer, chapter president, along with receiving the Dorothy Shaw Leadership Award. As a collegiate Tau Building Association board member for two years, Susan developed invaluable management, negotiation and leadership experience as well as relationships with fabulous mentors, Debbie Kenny '69 and Annette Luyben '62, who she says are still in her life today. These experiences reinforced the values of honesty and integrity when working with others. As Susan stated, "I am convinced that it was my ADP experience that helped me land my first job with Deloitte & Touche in Chicago." When she returned to the Kansas City area in 2000, Susan quickly rejoined the Building Association board, this time serving as board treasurer from 2000-2006. During that time there was a dramatic change in how ADP chapters dealt with their finances. Previously, the collegiate treasurer oversaw all aspects of the financial dealings of the chapter. However, because of growing budgets and complexity of chapter management, the national office of ADP determined that building associations, not the students, should take on the oversight of collecting all member contracts and rent, paying all bills, preparing biweekly payroll and calculating and submitting state and federal payroll taxes. When Susan's board service was over, the board decided to professionalize Tau's financial management, and naturally hired Susan to be the chapter's financial manager to continue the work she had been doing as a volunteer. Eighteen years later, Susan's financial savvy and accounting acumen has turned around Tau Chapter's financial health and created fiscal stability. Without Susan's guidance (along with alumnae's generous support!) the chapter would not have been able to keep up with regular repairs and maintenance, much less afford the renovations in the kitchen, staircase, house director's apartment, interior décor, study room updates, and the dramatic transformation of the exterior façade that was finished in August 2017. During that time, it has taken $3.5 million to improve the ADP Tau chapter house. Susan has been married to her husband, Dave, for 25 years. They met in Chicago and have two children. Her son, Zack, is a sophomore at Florida Gulf Coast University, and her daughter, Annie, is a freshman at the University of South Florida. Susan recalls bringing her daughter, still in a car seat at the time, to board meetings at what she called the "Apple Pie House." Susan exclaimed, "You can imagine how thrilled I was when she pledged ADP and then I got to participate in her initiation." When asked what favorite memories she has of her years at Tau, Susan says, "I cannot imagine what my college experience would've been without ADP. Thirty-three years later, three of my current dearest and closest friends are my pledge sisters." Expounding further, "I love the fact that I was in college before social media! No phone evidence required, just the occasional party picture! Some of my fondest memories are those that happened the morning after a party, game, or date when we recounted the previous night's events with lots of laughter. I also loved living in the chapter house for three years as there was always someone to talk to, have a meal with, go on a Joe's run, watch Young and the Restless, or study with all night. You name it, a sister was always there. That's why the ADP creed still rings true to me today...'We DO live for each other'...it is truly a way of life." ADP

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