In memory of Sue Mencher, 1960-2023
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is heartbroken to share the news that Sue Mencher, beloved coworker, friend, and the all-time longest serving employee of the Arts Council, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, July 29, following a battle with lung cancer.
Born Nov. 3, 1960, Sue spent over two decades in servitude to Pittsburgh’s artists and arts and culture communities. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute in computer science and computer forensics, she started as a database and systems specialist in October 2000 with ProArts, and stayed with the company when it merged with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance in 2005 to become the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.
During her years with the company, she held numerous positions before being promoted to senior director of internal systems where she led the Arts Council’s long-term technology vision and was responsible for the internal systems and staff development.
Her coworkers remember Sue for being fiercely loyal, compassionate, and quick witted.
“Sue was one of those great behind-the-scenes employees that doesn’t get celebrated very often,” said Mitch Swain, who worked side-by-side with Sue for 18 years as CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council from 2005 to 2023. “She was consistently learning, looking for new and better ways to do things. She was extremely loyal, a hard worker that cared about the organization and its employees. I’ll miss her.”
An avid lover of adventure and traveling, Sue left Pittsburgh to travel the country in an RV during the pandemic, while continuing to work full-time at the Arts Council remotely. She loved searching for sunshine in every state she visited and continuously boosted coworkers’ spirits by providing a safe space for anyone needing to talk, sharing photographs of her cats, and livening up virtual staff meetings by playing videos in honor of people’s birthdays.
Erin O’Neill, manager of Art on the Walls, says Sue was the backbone of the Arts Council. “Her quick wit, kindness to animals, birthday parties, and tell-it-like-it-is approach to work will forever be in the fabric of the Arts Council in Pittsburgh.”
Allison Popieski, senior manager of programs, calls Sue a “bad ass,” and credits her with one of her favorite memories of working at the Arts Council, one that paid homage to her former career: spending a working Zoom meeting with Sue teaching her how to curl her hair with a straightener.
“She's been my go-to since I started at the Arts Council,” said Allison. “Any question I had, personal or business, Sue was always there. It's a huge loss, and her shoes are impossible to fill.”
Before entering a career in technology, Sue served for 22 years as a hairstylist, and changed her career path after developing health issues caused by hair product chemicals. She credited her strong work ethics to growing up on a farm in Beaver County.
“Sue cared deeply about her work because she similarly cared deeply about the team she supported and their respective work in the community,” said Patrick Fisher, current CEO of the Arts Council. “Sue's dedication to the team and our work was fully on exhibit the past few months as she found ways to stay engaged with her role, checking in and participating in team meetings even during hospital stays and between doctor's appointments. Sue didn't want to let us go and now the team grieves our shared loss as we say goodbye to her.”