Susan Watson was appointed Executive Director of the ACLU of Alabama on April 15, 2013. Prior to coming to the ACLU of Alabama, Watson served as the Regional Director of the ACLU of Florida. In 1999 when the Florida Legislature and then Governor Jeb Bush passed a voucher scheme to divert money from public schools to private and religious schools. Susan volunteered her children to be plaintiffs in contesting the law. Susan and her children prevailed in this lawsuit, protecting public education in the state of Florida.

In 2000 she and others revitalized a long dormant ACLU chapter in Pensacola and she served as the first Panhandle Chapter Chair. Susan also served on the State Board of Directors of the ACLU of Florida and held several positions on the Board’s Executive Committee. Susan joined the staff of the ACLU of Florida in June of 2005 as director of the Northwest region of the ACLU of Florida. Susan loves being a trouble maker for a living. In her free time she enjoys traveling, reading, dancing and roller-skating. Susan is thrilled with the opportunities and challenges that come with leading the ACLU of Alabama in protecting the civil liberties and civil rights of the people of Alabama.