WOODBURY — A new yet recognizable face is back at Nonnewaug. Whether you last saw her at the middle school, the high school, or at a football game, Suzi Greene is a common face at the Region 14 School District. 

For Greene, relationships among the community, students, and peers are very important. 

“I think that relationships are super important,” says Greene. “I always tell students that ‘your relationships with your teachers are super important.’ My relationships with teachers are super important, with families and with kids. All of them are important.”

Greene originally began teaching in the 1993-94 school year in Pennsylvania and stayed there for 10 years. She then moved around from teaching in Region 5 at Amity, then to New Milford, working at the intermediate, middle, and high schools. After that she moved to Region 14, bouncing between the middle and high school working as an athletic director and assistant principal.

These are one of the many reasons why she loves her job: She embraces change.

“I don’t like when things are boring and the same all the time,” says Greene. “I like to change it up a little bit. I don’t mind change. I know a lot of people don’t like it but I’m very OK with it.”

With these changes come new relationships, like the one she built with Bill Nemec, the principal of Woodbury Middle School. 

“Out of everyone I have ever worked with, Mr. Nemec knows me best,” says Greene.

Nemec and Greene have been working together for over 10 years and first met when Greene became the athletic director at Nonnewaug. 

“Mrs. Greene and I have worked together for almost 10 years, starting when she took my place at Nonnewaug as the dean of students and athletic director,” says Nemec.

Nemec says that Greene shows excellent professionalism in what she does.

“Mrs. Greene is the ultimate professional. As a former athlete, she understands the importance of doing whatever the team needs to be successful,” says Nemec. “Switching schools emphasizes her professionalism.” 

Greene played D-I lacrosse and field hockey at Lafayette College. There she learned many important skills about being on a team. 

“My lacrosse team is in the Hall of Fame in [Lafayette] College because we were ranked top three in the nation when I was a junior,” says Greene.

She was also a first-team All-American in lacrosse and a second-team All-American in field hockey. Greene said her sports experience helped her in her education career.

“I used my skills on the field with my teammates to be a better administrator,” says Greene. 

Greene’s peers appreciate that she listens and supports them.

“Mrs. Greene is a great listener and makes informed decisions based on the information she gathers. She remains calm and does not overreact,” says Nemec. “She is very supportive of all the staff and students she interacts with.”

And she isn’t scared to show how supportive of her students she is. Together, Greene and Nemec created the Warrior Way, a behavioral guideline to help students which contains three words: respect, responsibility, and of course, relationships. 

With this, they select a group of exemplary students once a month who demonstrate the Warrior Way the best throughout the school. These students were called World Class Warriors.

One student who was selected to be one was current Nonnewaug sophomore Max Nichols.

“I got selected in sixth grade,” says Nichols. “I felt honored to be one of the very few selected because very few are selected each month.”

For the few that are selected, the middle school holds a ceremony and Greene makes sure all students are supported.

“It was a good recognition ceremony,” says Nichols, “and Mrs. Greene did a great job with it. She really supports students by making them feel comfortable all around the middle school.”

“And now,” Nichols said, “she is doing it at the high school.”