"Acton gave me the tools I need to build a profitable, ethical, and purposeful business." - Edward Melendez '07
Susan Morrice
She's Irish and possesses the energy, spirit, and sense of humor of a leprechaun. She lights up a room when she enters. She's a woman pioneer in a field dominated by men. And Susan Morrice is a crusader determined to save a nation.
A world-class oil and gas geologist, Morrice spent 20 years drilling test holes in Belize. She was convinced the country possessed oil, and even as her financial backers began pulling out she persevered. Finally, after so many years and so many attempts, she struck black gold in Belmopan, Belize. She named the well Usher #1 after her partner in exploration Michael Usher, who had died just a year earlier. Six months later, Morrice's company, Belize Natural Energy, announced a second well, Usher #2, and a major oil find.
Morrice wants more than just a successful company, though. She wants to improve the lives of the people who live in Belize. Aware of the ways governments historically have spent oil royalties throughout the world, she's making sure that Belize is different. Belize Natural Energy is establishing a trust fund for the people, with money from the fund used for education and health initiatives. Not only does the drilling project create jobs for local Belizeans, but Morrice and her company want to use the wealth generated to train workers, further educational opportunities, improve healthcare, protect the environment, and promote entrepreneurship. In short, Morrice hopes to change the lives of an entire nation, and she's determined not to fail.
Married to fellow oil industry executive Alex Cranberg, Susan Morrice lives in Denver with her two daughters. She's also active in promoting school choice to improve the educational opportunities for all children in the US. She co-founded the Alliance for Choice in Education with her husband, now known as the Equal Educational Opportunity Foundation, a program that supplies private school scholarships to low-income families.
Susan Morrice is investing her time and money into aiding those less fortunate, giving people the opportunities necessary to improve their lives. Lord Acton once said, “When a rich man becomes poor it is a misfortune, it is not a moral evil. When a poor man becomes destitute, it is a moral evil teeming with consequences and injurious to society and morality.” Susan Morrice understands the implied responsibilities of those with property and power to aid those without, lest society and morality collapse. When Acton scholars examine Morrice's life, they see a businesswoman living a life of meaning.
