Susan Retik is the co-founder and president of Beyond the 11th, a nonprofit organization that empowers widows in Afghanistan who have been afflicted by war, terrorism, and oppression. Susan’s commitment to Afghan widows was born from her own journey into widowhood, which began on September 11, 2001, when her husband David was killed.
Susan is an inspirational speaker who shares her remarkable story of transforming personal loss into humanitarian outreach, helping others to embrace their own power to make a difference
and raising awareness of the struggle of Afghan widows. Susan has received a number of honors, including a prestigious award from Search for Common Ground and Traditional Home magazine’s Classic Woman award. Susan has been featured in many media outlets including CNN, People Magazine, NBC Nightly News, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Susan is also a
subject of the award-winning documentary Beyond Belief.
Today, Susan continues to champion the cause of Afghan widows, although she is no longer
a widow herself. In 2006, Susan married Donald Ger, and in 2008 the couple welcomed a
daughter, Rebecca, to their busy family—joining siblings Ben, Molly, and Dina.
