FLINT, Mich., Oct. 21, 2025 — The Ruth Mott Foundation Board of Trustees has named Sue Peters the next Ruth Mott Foundation president following a national search.
Peters, who is currently vice president of community impact at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, will succeed Raquel Thueme, who announced earlier this year she would retire after 14 years with the Foundation, seven of those as president.
Peters will assume the role Nov. 3 and Thueme will stay on for a short time to ensure a smooth transition. With over two decades of philanthropic and nonprofit experience in Flint, Peters has been at the Community Foundation since 2016, specializing in grantmaking, community leadership and resource development.
“Sue’s deep commitment to community, equity, and place-based philanthropy make her the ideal leader to guide the Foundation in its next chapter,” said Maryanne Mott, Board of Trustees chair and daughter of the late Ruth Rawlings and Charles Stewart Mott.
Mott added: “We are fortunate to have her experience and vision as we continue our mission to work with the community toward a vibrant and inclusive Flint.”
Peters joins the Ruth Mott Foundation as it is poised to develop the next phase of its strategic plan, which guides its community grantmaking, impact investing and stewardship of Applewood, the historic estate of C.S. Mott, which the Foundation maintains in accordance with Ruth Mott’s wishes.
“I’m honored to join an organization that not only listens to and lifts up community voices but also offers Applewood as a place of learning and gathering,” Peters said. “I look forward to leading an organization that integrates grantmaking with its stewardship of a historic community asset like Applewood as I continue to serve in the community I have called home for over 25 years.”
Early in Peters’ career, she honed her community-centered approach while serving in the Peace Corps in Bolivia, developing relationships with residents to implement local solutions to local issues. The experience shaped her lifelong commitment to community engagement and sustainable nonprofit success.
Peters came to Flint in 2000 when she was hired as a program officer at the C.S. Mott Foundation. After seven years, she went on to direct the Flint office for LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corp.), a national nonprofit that acts as an intermediary to connect communities with public and private resources. At the Community Foundation, Peters was a member of the leadership team through the Flint water crisis and COVID pandemic, engaging residents to hear their concerns and solutions and working across sectors to address complex community needs.
As Ruth Mott Foundation president, Peters will oversee grantmaking and administration functions as well as the community programs delivered at and by Applewood.
Peters earned a master’s degree in policy studies from Johns Hopkins University and her bachelor’s degree from Carroll University in Wisconsin. She lives in Fenton with her twin sons.
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The Ruth Mott Foundation is a private family foundation established in Flint, Michigan, by Ruth Mott, philanthropist and wife of automotive pioneer Charles Stewart Mott. Its mission is to work with the community to connect people, ideas and resources for a vibrant and inclusive Flint.
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