The Country Friends (TCF) nonprofit has announced that Suzanne Newman, a longtime board member and past president, has taken the helm as the organization’s executive director and manager of its Rancho Santa Fe Consignment Shop. Newman follows in the footsteps of her late mother, Jean, who led the shop until her death in 2013. Newman succeeds Yvette Letourneau who is now executive director of the nonprofit Vision for Children Foundation.
TCF Board President Janean Stripe congratulated Newman on her new position with the 72-year-old nonprofit which has provided more than $15 million to San Diego County-based nonprofits since it was founded in 1954. “Suzanne has been an asset to our organization for more than 16 years,” she notes. “We are so grateful that she is willing to expand her role even more.”
Newman has served on TCF’s board of directors since 2010, its executive board since 2017, and as board president from 2019 to 2022. “Stepping up as executive director feels like a continuation of a journey I’ve been on for quite a long time,” she reflects.
Previously, Newman was a sales and marketing executive in the travel industry, specializing in strategic planning and change management, leading teams through mergers and acquisitions, and helping organizations grow stronger. “That experience is exactly what I, along with our board of directors, want to bring to The Country Friends as we move into our next chapter so we can continue our mission in support of those in need within our community.”
Newman calls the consignment shop one of the nonprofit’s greatest assets. Staffed by volunteers, it has been a village institution since it opened in the 1950s, selling new or gently used furniture, accessories, china, silverware, and art. Proceeds are split between consignees and The Country Friends’ chosen charities with a special emphasis on those providing services to women, children, the elderly, military families, and persons with disabilities. On Feb. 2, TCF announced the charities selected for funding in 2026 during a reception at the shop.
“There is so much opportunity there — not only to make the shop more widely known, but to improve how we merchandise, how we use the space, and how we bring more people in,” she says. We have a beautiful patio we can activate with events, gatherings, and collaborations. There is room to grow both our visibility and our impact,” Newman said. She also says TCF is actively recruiting volunteers.
“My connection to The Country Friends isn’t just professional — it’s deeply personal,” Newman notes, reflecting on her mother’s long commitment to the organization. “She was dedicated in a way that left an imprint on me…she left behind a legacy of service here. So, for me, stepping into this role feels like a way of honoring that legacy while carrying it forward in my own way.”Visit the countryfriends.org for more information.
— Andrea Naversen is a The Country Friends Executive Board board member