Rachel Sussman
About Rachel Sussman
Rachel Sussman serves as the Vice President of Strategy & Program at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she focuses on modernizing abortion policies and advocating for reproductive rights. She has held various academic and leadership roles, including adjunct professor at Rutgers School of Public Health and previous positions at Georgetown University and Yeshiva University.
Current Role at Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Rachel Sussman serves as the Vice President of Strategy & Program at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a position she has held since 2022. In this role, she focuses on defining and implementing strategies to modernize abortion policies. Sussman collaborates with key organizational leaders within Planned Parenthood and the broader progressive movement to advance abortion access. She also acts as the principal advisor to the organization's President and Senior Vice Presidents on matters related to abortion advocacy and development.
Academic Background and Teaching Experience
Rachel Sussman has a robust academic background. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, a position she has held since 2019. Previously, she taught as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University for nine months in 2004-2005 and at Yeshiva University for one year from 2006 to 2007. Sussman earned her Doctor of Law (JD) from American University Washington College of Law in 2005 and holds a Bachelor's degree in Women’s Studies, Political Science, and History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which she completed in 1999.
Previous Positions and Experience
Before her current role at Planned Parenthood, Rachel Sussman held several significant positions. She served as the Vice President of State Policy and Advocacy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America from 2020 to 2022 and as the National Director of State Policy and Advocacy from 2018 to 2020. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Legal Assistant at Legal Momentum from 2001 to 2003. These roles have contributed to her expertise in policy and advocacy related to reproductive rights.
Focus on Abortion Access and Advocacy
Rachel Sussman emphasizes a groundbreaking strategy to re-imagine abortion access, focusing on the intersections of gender, race, and state-based power dynamics. Her work involves leading initiatives to modernize abortion policies and advocating for reproductive rights. Sussman's approach integrates insights from her academic background and extensive experience in policy advocacy, positioning her as a key figure in the ongoing discourse surrounding abortion access.