Susan Lichtenstein

Susan Lichtenstein is a retired healthcare executive, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Hill-Rom Holdings, a global medical device manufacturer, where she was responsible for government, regulatory and legal affairs, corporate communications, and corporate support services. She previously had similar responsibilities as Chief Legal Officer for Baxter International Inc., a $12+ billion diversified life sciences company. She also had C-suite positions in the telecom industry, where she was Senior Vice President and General Counsel for both Ameritech Corporation and Tellabs, Inc. Susan was a director of Aviv REIT (NYSE: AVIV), and has twice served in government, working for the Mayor of Chicago and the Governor of Illinois. She has managed and testified at Congressional hearings, dealt with cabinet-level officials and all levels of government agencies, legislatures, and the press, making strategic contributions in complex, multi-constituent settings. She began her career at Schiff Hardin & Waite, where she became an equity partner.

Susan currently serves on the board of Girls, Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, and the board of RUSH University Medical Center. She previously served on the boards of the Civic Consulting Alliance of Chicago and WTTW, Chicago’s public television station. A former music student and an avid supporter of the arts, Susan was a director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, serving on the Executive, Audit, and Nominating and Governance committees, and a trustee of the Ravinia Festival.

She and her husband, John Rokacz, are enthusiastic scholarship donors and patrons of the Music Academy, and enjoy being Compeers to cello fellows. They have two children, David and Rebecca, and have made Montecito their permanent home since 2020.