About Susannah
Education & Work History
Susannah graduated from GVSU in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a Minor in Spanish. After several years of working in the ICU, a mission trip to Haiti inspired her to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). In 2011, she graduated with a Master’s of Science in Anesthesia from UM-Flint. As a CRNA, she has provided critical care in every kind of hospital setting: from inner-city Level One trauma centers to rural critical access hospitals, as well as delivering anesthesia on medical mission trips around the world.
Because providing anesthesia wasn’t stressful enough, she launched Swatts & Co Design Studio in 2018, a full-service interior design firm based here in West Michigan. The studio quickly gained national recognition, earning two HGTV Designer of the Year nominations and features in Architectural Digest, Business Insider, My Domaine, and beyond.
Service
Susannah was born into a proud military family in Nuremberg, Germany. She later commissioned into the U.S. Army Reserve as a First Lieutenant.
Undoubtedly, one of her greatest contributions to this country has been supporting her husband through his 20 years of service in the Colorado Air National Guard; this includes giving birth to their third child while he deployed to Afghanistan. As she steps into public service, it feels only fair that he’s the one juggling kids this time around.
Personal
Susannah met her husband Justin while ice climbing in Colorado. She lured him back to Michigan with promises of beautiful lakes, cloudy skies, and the kind of unpredictable weather that builds character.
Together in Rockford, they raise their three children, their somewhat-cliche mini-goldendoodle, and a gaggle of chickens. The family worships at Crossroads Bible Church, is in their sixth year of homeschooling, and loves being a part of the Koinonia Homeschool Co-op.
They love camping, devouring donuts, reading in hammocks, mountain biking local trails, and chasing waves wherever the water's warm and the sharks are friendly.