April 2008 / page 4

Member Profile:
Art and Susan Brauer Just Keep Dancing

“It all started when I began writing for my children. I wanted them to understand what I had been through with the divorce, going back to school, raising them, starting a new career,” said Susan Brauer, IWPA Printer’s Row co-chair. That message to her children grew into the successful book Just Keep Dancing, awarded 1st place in the 2006 Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest (Non-Fiction/Biography).

     Susan’s is the story of a divorced mother of six small children who went back to school at the age of 33 to earn a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Master’s degree in the same field from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently employed as a section manager at Motorola.

      As she began to share her experiences with other women engineers, Susan found that different parts of her story touched people in different ways. Informal conversations turned into workshops and presentations that focus on many career issues 21st Century women face: “Changes,” “Effective Presentations or Podium Panic,” “Bringing Your Book to Reality,” Career and Life Transitions” and “Just Keep Dancing: The Power of Change.” Her audiences include women’s business and professional organizations, high schools, colleges and universities and church groups. 

Susan Brauer

  By the time she decided to publish Just Keep Dancing, Susan had married Art Brauer, IWPA Printer’s Row co-chair. Art, while working to support their family as an automobile mechanic in the '90s, became fascinated with computers and the Web. Taking courses at the local community college he became immersed in computer graphics and Web design. Since retiring in 2002 from the auto industry, Art has been responsible for Dreamers Tapestry's product literature and Web site design. Dreamers’ business operations, the computer and the Web have become his hobby as well as his passion.
  As Dreamers Tapestry’s creative director, Art’s responsibilities include advertising, designing promotional materials and book layouts and serving as master Web designer. He also takes care of the business end of the company. “He does the hard work and I have all the fun,” she quipped.
  While marketing Just Keep Dancing, Art and Susan discovered IWPA and exhibited at the 2005 Book Fair at the Chicago Cultural Center. “The Center was so impressive and I found so many others who were doing something they love. IWPA has such a rich tapestry of talent and experience–we just love it.” Co-chairing the Printer’s Row Book Fair for IWPA seemed like an exciting way to become involved and to get to know other members and their work.

Art Brauer

  In addition to working at Motorola, writing, marketing her book and conducting seminars and workshops, Susan still volunteers at her alma mater, Queen of Peace High School in Burbank, IL, where she encourages young women to follow their dreams.
  An avid reader, Susan listens to books on tape when she travels. “It’s important for a writer to listen to or read other people’s work.” Indeed, since that Book Fair, many IWPA members are delighted to have read hers.