BY RYAN O’CONNOR
Despite working full-time as a pediatric lipid specialist at Concord Hospital, mothering three children and handling the rigors and time constraints of being the first lady of New Hampshire, Dr. Susan Lynch still finds time to give back to her hometown of Hopkinton.
“I don’t think I’ve turned down anything that Hopkinton has ever asked me to do. Whether it’s the schools or another function, I will go out of my way because I love this community and I’m really proud to represent it and help out in any way I can,” said Lynch.
Still, Lynch can only be in so many places at once.
“It’s tough, and I have to say ‘no’ to a lot of things I would really like to participate in (outside of Hopkinton) because I work and because I have three children. I have to do what I can manage, and I won’t ever accept something that I can’t do a good job on, so I try to do the things that are the most meaningful that fit with my schedule. But it’s a juggle all the time,” she said.
In 2006, Lynch was also named the Public Citizen of the Year by the New Hampshire Pediatric Society.
Roxanne Benzel, president of the Hopkinton Woman’s Club, said Lynch has continuously offered her support throughout the years.
“She’s been an active member long before becoming New Hampshire’s first lady,” said Benzel.
Lynch said she joined the Hopkinton Woman’s Club shortly after moving to town 21 years ago.
“It’s just a great organization with a lot of wonderful camaraderie among the women, but its strongest area is the cooperative spirit of working together to help the community in many ways from raising money for scholarships to helping individuals who are unable to get out of their homes and providing them transportation.
“They seem to have their hands in almost everything around here,” she continued. “They offer the opportunity to have fun and really get out and meet your neighbors. I can’t think of a better organization to belong to.”
But for members, it’s Lynch’s presence at club functions and continued support that help to promote the club’s goals and ideals.
Cindy Glass organized a club sponsored Health and Wellness Fair on April 21, in which Lynch was the keynote speaker.
“It was key to have Dr. Lynch here. Before we did anything else, we set out to get her to come and when she gave us the OK, we then worked around her schedule to make it work for all sides,” said Glass. “We were just thrilled to have her come. She is very well-respected in the community, and it was very important for us to have her here.”
Likewise, Lynch said the health and wellness fair provided an excellent platform for raising awareness about childhood obesity and its ripple effect on high cholesterol, hypertension and the increased risk of heart disease.
“A lot of examples that I gave in my talk and things you hear from other speakers are information that people don’t always know about,” she said. “I think it provides great information for the community on very concrete issues that they can take away and make specific changes in their lifestyle.”