Susanna Ernst

Susanna M. Ernst is a community organizer, historian, and businesswoman who resides in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago. She is a candidate for alderperson of Chicago’s 45th Ward.

Childhood and Education

Susanna Marie Ernst was born on May 12, 1969, in Mishawaka, Indiana. She is the daughter of Robert and Juanita Ernst, who were teachers in Mishawaka schools. Susanna has a younger sister, Rosemary. The Ernsts were members of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mishawaka when Susanna was growing up, and she attended St. Joseph School through the eighth grade.

Ernst spent her freshman year at Mishawaka Marian High School before transferring to Mishawaka High School as a sophomore. While a student at Mishawaka, Ernst participated in dramatics and speech competitions. She graduated from Mishawaka High as a member of the Class of 1987.

Ernst attended Indiana University in Bloomington, and she was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and was involved in I.U. Sing and student government. Ernst graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

The next year, Ernst moved to Denver, where she worked as an entertainment manager at Casa Bonita. At the time, Casa Bonita was the largest restaurant in the Western Hemisphere and featured stage shows and musical programs.

She returned to the Midwest in 1994 and earned her certification in audio engineering.

Ernst then went back to Denver to work as a stage manager for multiple theaters, including the Theater on Broadway, where she managed productions of A Perfect Ganesh, Psycho Beach Party, and the Western premiere of Love! Valour! Compassion!

Ernst later continued her studies at the University of Northern Colorado and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2000. While there, she also took PhD-level courses in Statistics with a minor in General Business/Actuarial Science. Ernst earned the Departmental Scholar Award in Mathematics-Actuarial Science and graduated Summa Cum Laude. As a U.N.C. student, she established the first recycling program on campus through the CoPIRG Foundation.

Business Career

After earning her degree from the University of Northern Colorado, Ernst was hired by Nielsen, beginning an 18-year tenure with the international data and audience measurement firm. She began as a Research Statistician and advanced to Client Manager, Business Consultant, Manager of Business Planning, and Director of Solutions Consulting. In 2013, she became Nielsen’s Vice President for North America Commercial Finance, a position she held until 2018 when she left the company. In her vice president’s role, Ernst led a 40-member team and oversaw multi-million-dollar contracts for Nielsen.

Community Organizer

While working at Nielsen’s Schaumburg, Illinois, office, Ernst became a resident of Jefferson Park, a neighborhood on Chicago’s northwest side. She has been involved in numerous community groups and activities in Jefferson Park and nearby neighborhoods.

In 2001, she co-founded the Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association and served as its president.

Ernst also co-founded the Northwest Chicago Historical Society in 2003 and has served as its president ever since. She co-authors the organization’s bi-annual newsletter and has been actively involved in historic preservation efforts such as the Jefferson Park Firehouse, Our Lady of Victory Church, and the Downtown Business District. Ernst also collaborated in creating a historic mural in Jefferson Park and is the co-author of Jefferson Park, an Arcadia Book that will be published later in 2023.

In 2016, Ernst co-founded Jefferson Park Forward, a neighborhood organization that promotes economic development, social justice, and environmental protection in this neighborhood. From 2016-2019, she served as Jefferson Park Forward’s director of community development.

Ernst’s community involvement has also included being a host for Open House Chicago, a community liaison for the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission, a member of the Steering Committee for the 45th Ward Participatory Budgeting, co-chair of the 4KN Walking Museum along Irving Park Road, and team leader of the 45th Ward Aldermanic Forum Planning Committee during the 2019 election.

Though Ernst has been a resident of Jefferson Park for more than 20 years, she maintains ties to her hometown of Mishawaka. In 2021 and 2022, she carried out an ambitious research project into the history of her former southwest side neighborhood, colloquially known as “Hooligan Heights.” Ernst wrote an extensive article for the weekly Mishawaka Enterprise that traced the neighborhood’s history, including the effect of radical urban renewal in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

In 2013, Ernst was certified as a Level 1 Sommelier (wine steward) by the International Sommelier Guild.

Candidate for Alderperson

On September 18, 2022, Susanna Ernst announced her candidacy for alderperson of Chicago’s 45th Ward, challenging incumbent alderman James Gardiner. Four other candidates have also joined the race to unseat Gardiner.

During the past several months of door-to-door campaigning and other events in the ward, Ernst has run on a platform that promotes public safety, encourages economic development, and works positively to engage residents from throughout the 45th Ward’s neighborhoods. She also has expressed her support for Chicago Public Schools and their role in improving the city. Ernst has pointed to her business background and involvement with organizing and participating in community activities as qualifications for being elected alderperson. She also notes her advocacy for and promotion of local theater and arts festivals. Ernst points to her efforts to encourage safe streets, mass transit, and people-centered infrastructure.

“In the 45th Ward, we want to build more unity, collaboration, and opportunity,” Ernst wrote in February 2023. “To do this, we plan to lead from behind, driving change with feedback from community members. Whether it's how we evaluate new developments or ensuring our safety, we can work toward goals that demonstrate our shared values. Listening and getting input is key. Our path forward includes feedback from involved residents.”

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