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Susan
Blackburn
President & Chief Operating Officer at Freedom Bank
It is difficult to resist smiling as Susan Blackburn's effervescent
energy circulates the air. is shimmer comes after a long
journey to uncover what she calls the "next chapter" of her life,
and her excitement over turning that page is quite infectious.
As a Tampa native, Blackburn has a
deep appreciation for this region that
resonates in her commitment to her
clients at Freedom Bank, where she is
the president and chief operating officer.
It took a lot of energ y and effort to
make her way to the top of the bank ing
industr y, but now, Blackburn can step
back and appreciate the view.
Now, this accomplished banker has a
whole host of new adventures awaiting
her as she continues to find balance in
her work and home life, tak ing pride
in the diverse blended family she's
acquired. In this GV ITAS inter view,
Blackburn discusses her childhood in
a pre-urbanized Gulf Coast Florida,
the challenges she faced early on in
bank ing , and what she's doing to stay
present in ever y moment.
Tell me a little bit about your
childhood. You grew up in
Pinellas County?
I did. Our family moved down here
when I was 1, and my sister was 2. We
both had so much fun then. Since we
grew up when the area was still ver y
much underdeveloped, we felt like
explorers. We spent a lot of time at
the beach or on the boat. We'd take
the boat to explore the marshes of the
bayou. Sundays were always family day:
My parents would put us in the car, and
my sister and I could pick whichever
direction we wanted to drive in, and
that's the direction the family would
explore. As a family, we uncovered
Florida in the most magnificent way.
Since then, I've never wanted to leave.
What did you want to be when
you were a little girl?
I wanted to be a movie star! Who
Continued page 50
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