Thirst for Knowledge
Christine Prisco
“ You are doing something for yourself, for your family, for your future. Keep going. Do the hard work, and you’ll be rewarded in the end.” —Sue Haindl ‘84
Sue Haindl ’84 was reading Harvard Business Review at the age of 18. “Growing up in a household where my mother emphasized the importance of language and communication, I inherited a passion for knowledge,” she recalls with a smile. “My mother’s influence laid the early groundwork for my academic and professional pursuits.”
Given her childhood reading material, it is not surprising Haindl eventually became senior vice president, chief administrative officer for Essential Utilities, Inc., one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.
At DCCC, she discovered she had a penchant for mathematics and found herself immersed in a positive and rewarding classroom experience. “I’ve always loved math. It’s my #1 passion. The DCCC professors in that subject were impactful.”
When a classmate transferred from DCCC to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Haindl was inspired to do the same. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wharton and a master’s degree in business administration from Saint Joseph’s University.
Haindl’s journey through diverse industries—retail, banking, consumer products and more—was guided by a relentless desire to understand how things work, how processes move through companies, and how change happens. She embraced challenges such as change management, navigating cultural differences and weathering acquisitions.
A full-circle moment occurred when Haindl returned to DCCC as an educator. Teaching five classes for five semesters from 2010 to 2012, including introductory courses in business and communications, Haindl found joy in her interactions with students. One poignant moment came when a student expressed gratitude for getting to know everyone in the class—a testament to Haindl’s teaching philosophy and the inclusive environment she fostered.
Haindl’s commitment to education and giving back is reflected by her establishment in 2011 of the Marie T. Haindl Memorial Scholarship. Inspired by her mother’s focus on language and communications, Haindl wanted to pay tribute to the woman who instilled in her the love for learning. This scholarship reflects Haindl’s deep appreciation for education and her desire to support future generations.
As the recently retired chief administrative officer at Essential Utilities, Inc., Haindl feels the Essential Foundation’s recent $75,000 gift to name the DCCC Student Resource Center further reinforces the importance of community and education. The collaboration between institutions and corporations underscores the collective responsibility of fostering educational opportunities for the community.
A DCCC Alumni Achievement Award winner and Commencement speaker in 2009, Haindl has the following advice for students. “DCCC was a great place to get my associate [degree]. It was local, affordable and a great entry point for me to start my college education. You are doing something for yourself, for your family, for your future. Keep going. Do the hard work, and you’ll be rewarded in the end.”