I first met Sue and her partner, Anne Marie Sopko, many years ago when my partner, Wayne Gleason, discovered their coffee shop and bakery, Dream Café. It was his early morning escape for "alone time" to read the paper and have a great breakfast. At the cost of his time to himself I joined him once and became a dedicated customer. All morning glory muffins remain judged by the Dream Café’s standard; no others ever seem to measure up.

Sue and Anne Marie sold the business and Sue was hired by the Rehoboth Beach Film Society to be their Development Director. It was a huge responsibility with a goal to raise considerable funds the year she was hired. By year’s end she met and exceeded the fundraising goal, making the board of directors breathe much easier that budget year. Since then she has earned a new title, Managing Director.

While I was on the board of directors we worked closely together and developed a strong working relationship. Sue works hard, is a strategic thinker, and is extremely dedicated. I can’t say that I could ask any more of someone I work along side. But, in fact I feel fortunate to be able to add that I can call Sue a friend.

Mark: What first brought you to the Rehoboth Beach area?

Sue: I’ve been coming since about 1980. Anne Marie and I came weekly even in the winter from Newark, Delaware. We just loved it here. We started taking vacations here and decided to move to be by the beach.

Mark: You’ve been in a long term relationship with Anne Marie. When and where did you meet?

Sue: We met in 1980 at a social event. On our first date I took her sailing. I capsized the boat. It should have been an early sign that life with me was going to be an adventure. We’ve been together for twenty-four years and are getting ready to celebrate our twenty-fifth. But, we don’t know where we are going to celebrate yet, that’s to be determined.

Mark: Tell us about your work with the Rehoboth Beach Film Society.

Sue: The responsibilities I have are interesting and diverse. There are great people to work with in terms of members and volunteers. We get to see great films, although I don’t get to see as many as I would like. It’s challenging, because we are a fast growing organization that is continually expanding its programming.

Mark: Are there any special projects you are working on for the film society?

Sue: We are raising money to finish production of the Funland documentary, which the RBFS will host the premier screening of at this year’s opening night of the seventh annual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. This is a unique project, because the film is about a local landmark and it’s being filmed by a local film maker, Teleductions out of Wilmington. This film is going to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Mark: Who are some of the early donors to the Funland documentary project?

Sue: Our first donors were Norma Lee and Richard Derrickson, Bette and Sal Gallo, and the Fasnacht Family. Our most recent donors are James and Veronica Kiernan, the Hudson Family, Rehoboth Beach Main Street, Julie Slick and Michele Campisi, Maggie Shaw and Andrea Andrus, and Beth Hochholzer. We are grateful to them all!

Mark: How are plans going for next November’s Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival?

Sue: Plans are well under way. We have a good group of people who are participating in the film reviews on Monday and Tuesday nights. New people are always welcome. We are in the process of lining up our sponsors this year and very much appreciate their generosity in supporting this event. We’re going to continue the trend of making sure this festival is the best yet.

Mark: You were once a small business owner in Rehoboth. Do you miss being your own boss?

Sue: Do you mean do I miss being a prisoner of my own business? I miss the people, but not the work hours. Going to bed at 7:30 at night and getting up at 2:30 a.m. to bake was not fun.

Mark: What advice would you give to anyone considering opening a business in Rehoboth Beach?

Sue: Really research the market well. Make sure that you schedule personal time away from the business to keep your sanity.

Mark: Do you have a little known Rehoboth Beach pleasure?

Sue: We kayak all the time, all over the area and in different parts of the world. Rehoboth Bay is really nice, because there are a lot of nooks and crannies to paddle through. Then there are always the dolphins to see on the ocean side.

Mark: Will celebrating your twenty-fifth anniversary include a kayaking trip?

Sue: Anything’s possible!

Mark: What do you think of much of the change going on around Rehoboth Beach?

Sue: It kind of goes with the territory. What’s interesting now is we have commuter rush hours during the winter months we never had before.

Mark: What do you think about the growing prominence of the lesbian community in Rehoboth Beach?

Sue: Wonderful! We have a lot of capable women who are stepping forward doing positive things for the community.

Mark: How much do I have to donate to the Rehoboth Beach Film Society to get that morning glory muffin recipe?