A pillar of the Lancaster community, Susan Eckert has spent decades shaping the city into a stronger, more connected group of neighbors. Her tireless commitment to Lancaster organizations has left a lasting mark on nearly every corner of the community’s professional and civic life.

A longtime vocal advocate for the needs of Lancaster County families, Eckert is well known for her 25 years as the head of the United Way of Lancaster County. Under her leadership, United Way empowered generosity with purpose — giving donors a voice, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers, and bringing people together to direct resources where they were needed most. She was at the forefront of caring for the community’s most vulnerable, and developing programs that increased both results and accountability.

That commitment to service has been a hallmark of Eckert’s leadership, enhancing her work as executive director of the YWCA, principal of the Eckert Group, and director of advancement at the Family Medicine Education Consortium. Beyond her broad community impact, Eckert serves on the advisory board for the Eckert Art Gallery, an important exhibition space at Millersville University. Through their annual sponsorship of art exhibitions and student interns for the gallery, she and her husband, Jerry, actively foster local talent. Their endowed scholarship — established in honor of Susan’s mother, Dorothy Connolly — provides life-changing support for nontraditional students.

Eckert has also served on many local boards of directors, including WITF, the Lancaster County Local Journalism Fund, and the newly formed Always Lancaster. Eckert earned her bachelor's degree in history from William Smith College and her master's degree in education from Boston College. She is widely respected for her unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others, and for the humility and heart with which she has led her teams. We are fortunate to count her as a friend of Franklin & Marshall College.

Susan Eckert, with deepest gratitude for your many years of steadfast community work; for your devotion to local people and places; and your numerous volunteer commitments, while always remaining dedicated to making Lancaster County an exceptional place to live and prosper, Franklin & Marshall College bestows upon you the Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.